GRAHAM Alexander admits he cannot force fans to accept what he says about Jake Young at face value.

But he insists he has been truthful in every comment he has made since the City striker was recalled early from his loan at Swindon.

The Bantams travel to the managerless Wiltshire club tomorrow chasing a first league win for seven games to revive some optimism in their fading fortunes.

Young finally took part in his first full training session yesterday after complaining of an ankle issue.

That delay has inevitably had supporters questioning whether he does not want to jeopardise a potential move in the transfer window by appearing for the Bantams. Players are only allowed to feature for two clubs in a season.

READ MORE: Young comes through training return

But Alexander stressed that the 16-goal striker is not being deliberately held back – and hopes fans will take him at his word.

“I can’t make people believe what I’m saying,” said the City boss. “Hopefully over time, people will understand that what I’m saying is the truth.

“I don’t want to go back on my words that I said straight away but Jake came back with an injury.

“I think the Swindon manager at the time clarified that as well that he’d been playing for them with it.

“He’s been treated for it. He was back out on the training pitch doing laps and now he’s trained.

“He’s on a normal return-to-play schedule that Jamie Walker and Lewis Richards are on and he’s gone through exactly the same protocol as them.

“He looked good in training – as did Lewis Richards. Fingers crossed there’s no adverse effects.”

Bantams won't be focusing on 'side issue'

Alexander accepts the cynicism comes with the territory during January when there is so much transfer talk surrounding Young. City have rejected bids from Carlisle and two other clubs so far.

“I don’t want to hide anything from anybody and pull the wool over their eyes,” he added.

“I want to be honest and open but there are things that go on behind the scenes in football that even I don’t know about.

“A lot of it, I don’t need to know. Unless it’s factual and something I really have to deal with, I prefer to be left to manage the team.

“This is a side issue for me. It’s a potentially important player for us if he’s here when he’s fully fit.

“But I’m not going to ignore the guys that are out there running their whatsits off in a Bradford City shirt to focus on something I don’t need to.

“My focus is on the guys doing everything they can to win points for our club.”

Having just started training fully again, Young is unlikely to be considered for this weekend. The ongoing situation must reach a resolution one way or the other by Thursday night’s deadline.

READ MORE: Experience helps City boss cope with transfer window

Alexander said: “It’s a really condensed period of time when a lot of stuff potentially happens.

“When you look at the potential of what could happen over 92 clubs and what actually does it’s quite minimal.

“There’s a lot of noise, lot of talk and speculation.

“Then towards the end of the window, people are forced to make decisions and either up their bids, accept their bids or players say they don’t want to go.

“That’s why I try and keep it as fluid and as open as possible in the big period in between because I don’t know what tomorrow brings.

“I understand everyone’s wonderment about these moments. Nobody can really put their finger on the exact 100 per cent truth about everything.

“I’m just giving my side of it and my perspective. That’s where we are.

“We’ve got six more days and there’s going to be a lot of speculation between now and then.”

Alexander knows it is impossible to keep the transfer gossip out of the dressing room having been there himself as a player. But he does not view it as a distraction for the rest of the squad.

Players as interested in transfer stories as fans

“I was in a changing room for 24 years as a player and all sorts of rubbish is talked about – I was part of it.

“They’ll know more than we did back in the day because of social media.

“Back then, we just read the papers. But now it’s 24-hour coverage on TV and radio channels and they’ll be like a lot of the supporters talking about every move going on here, there and everywhere.

“I don’t walk into that changing room until match days because it’s their environment. That speculation will go on forever, you’ll never stop that.

“But when the lads are on the training pitch, they’re training. When it comes to game time, they are fully focused on that.

“We’ve got too much experience and too much professionalism in that group of players to let anything potentially happen outside affect what happens on the pitch.”