The Bulls will take nothing for granted in their first Fax derby for eight years.

Sunday’s Challenge Cup fourth-round tie pits them against a Halifax side sitting tenth in the Championship but there is no question of players being rested.

Instead, boss Mick Potter will select his strongest possible side for the Shay clash, although he has been forced into several changes by a fresh batch of injuries.

Serious ligament injuries will keep Olivier Elima (knee) and Shaun Ainscough (ankle) out long-term, with scans expected to confirm the extent today.

Paul Sykes will also spend two to three weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring strain, while a shoulder problem means Matt Diskin is unavailable for the Fax game.

Potter is wary of the potential for a high-profile slip-up.

He said: “The break from Super League doesn’t necessarily take the pressure off us because it’s a potential banana skin and it’s knock-out rugby league. Lose and we’re out, there is no second chance.

“It would be good to do well in the Challenge Cup but the final is a million miles away and we’re a long way from talking about that.

“We will have to make some changes because of injuries but we will field our strongest possible team.

Elima, Ainscough, Sykes and Diskin will all have to miss out.”

The Bulls’ latest spate of setbacks comes with several players, most notably Brett Kearney, Jamie Langley and Nick Scruton, already sidelined.

But Potter expects high standards from whatever team wears Bradford’s colours.

He said: “There’s no point complaining about injuries. It’s something that happens and that’s the reason we’ve got the group of players we have.

“We just try and win every game that we can. There’s no secret recipe and there’s no way around working hard.

“The players are working hard and they’ve all come in for extras this week. There are certainly some areas to be improved and, although they’re putting in the work, there’s some misdirected energy.”