DEREK Adams is prepared to bide his time with shifting players who are out of the picture at City.

Richard O’Donnell was not named in the 18-man squad at Walsall in midweek despite travelling.

The long-serving keeper has been linked with Hartlepool, although there is no suggestion at this stage that he will be leaving Valley Parade before the end of the transfer window.

Gareth Evans is another player on the fringes as Adams reshapes his personnel for the final 20 games of the season.

Evans was last involved on December 8 when he came on as a 77th-minute substitute against Colchester.

The last of his five starts in the league was at today’s opponents Crawley at the end of September. His only full game since was in the Papa John’s Trophy against Sunderland.

“He’s one of the ones that’s out of the squad at this moment in time,” said Adams.

“Unfortunately, he was off ill for a period of time and he’s just working his way back now.

“He’s part of the squad and he’s here until the end of the season.”

Adams has added five loan signings during the window to bolster the squad but insists he is not pushing anyone out of the exit if they don’t want to go now.

“We’ve had no offers for any of our players. I’m not going to force them out the door.

“I didn’t take some of these players to the football club. These players were here before I came and some of them are on decent wages – more than you would expect.

“That’s something I have to address come the summer.”

The Bantams chief feels that the whole squad have had their chance to stake a claim since he took the hot-seat.

“Nobody can complain. Every single player gets an opportunity on the training field each day and 98 per cent of the ones have had an opportunity in the first team.

“There’s only probably a couple that haven’t and they are the younger ones, who haven’t had a league game but they’ve played in the cup matches.”

Adams wants Reece Staunton and Kian Scales to go back out on loan after recently returning from spells with Bradford (Park Avenue) and Farsley Celtic.

He said: “There has been interest but they don’t feel the clubs that have come in for them are the right one at this moment.

“Again, I’m not going to force them to go to a club they don’t want to. They’ve got to be comfortable.”