Bradford City will be without star midfielder Bobby Pointon until 2027 after Michael Duff confirmed that he had picked up a knee injury.
The hometown hero was forced off the pitch in the first half of the Bantams’ 7-0 demolition of non-league side Marine last weekend, with George Lapslie taking his place minutes after Adam Phillips’ first of the afternoon.
Duff Reveals Worst Fears
With checks taking place between the game and their midweek dead-rubber against York City in the EFL Trophy, City boss Michael Duff has now confirmed that an MCL injury will keep Pointon sidelined for at least the next eight weeks.
Speaking with the Yorkshire Post following their 4-0 win over the Minstermen, the ex-Barnsley boss stated that the 22-year-old is set to undergo further examinations in the coming days.
“Bobby is the real blow. Bobby’s going to be (out) eight weeks, minimum.
“But we’re waiting to see a result. He’s off to see a specialist, so we need to see what the results of that are. The scans show it’s an MCL, so it’s not great news.”
It has proven to be a costly week for the Bantams across the board, with Pointon’s replacement on the day in Lapslie also set to be stuck in the medical room for a month, alongside goalkeeper Cameron Dawson.
However, there has been one shining light amid the bleak news, with confirmation that first-choice wing-back Josh Neufville is closing in on a return ahead of their derby match against Doncaster Rovers in two weeks’ time.
Injury Blows Should Be Navigable
Three separate injury blows for Bradford City ahead of a packed festive fixture list, which also includes a hotly anticipated EFL Cup quarter-final against Manchester City, will cause a lot of headaches for Michael Duff going forward.
Certainly not helping is the fact that both Bobby Pointon and George Lapslie will be missing for the next month, meaning the Bantams will have to rejig their midfield shape going forward.
Players who have not been trusted regularly, such as Kieran Morgan and Henry Cartwright, now have a big task on their hands over the coming weeks, with 10 matches between now and their New Year’s Day trip to Wigan Athletic.
As proven in their cup performances, these rotated players can and have stepped up when called upon, so if they can carry that momentum with them, then there is no reason why City can’t maintain their impressive form until players start returning.
