Bradford City v Millwall - Stuart McCall prepares to make tough calls over Bantams line-up

The Bantams are looking to end a 13-year absence from the second tier by beating Millwall in the League One play-off final.

City will be boosted by a fully fit squad as Alex Jones pushes for a recall after missing both legs of the semi-final victory over Fleetwood Town.

McCall named the same starting XI in the two games but adopted different formations, something that Lions counterpart Neil Harris admits has left him with something of a guessing game.

“With six games of the season to go,” said the Bradford manager, “it was still nip and tuck for the play-offs and we had a meeting at the training ground on the pitch.

“I told them, ‘If we were going to get our dream of reaching Wembley then between now and then - if we do achieve that - make sure you are on the bus when it travels.

“I have got to say every one of them has done that, be it in training, be it when they have been a substitute in games they think they should have played in or started.

“The hard thing now is to leave a couple of lads out of the 20, let alone the 18, let alone the 11.

“That is the hard part of being a manager when it comes to games like this. I have got a lot of big decisions to make.”

As part of his preparations, McCall has widened the main pitch at the club’s Apperley Bridge training ground by five yards to replicate the dimensions of the Wembley surface.

Earlier this week, Millwall striker Steve Morison suggested the notion that the pitch at the national stadium is wider than most was a fallacy, insisting The Den was only a yard shorter.

“He is probably right with Millwall but certainly not at Valley Parade,” said McCall when asked about the former Leeds United striker’s comments.

“We have quite a narrow pitch, certainly compared to a lot of clubs, but it doesn’t match theirs.

“The condition of the park (at Wembley) is going to be immaculate. Even when I look back to the home game against Millwall, when I thought we did really well, it was a bumpy and tight park.

“This will be different. People will say, ‘You are on a football pitch, it is 11 v 11’. But the size and quality of the surface can also alter the way you play yourself.

“That is why we had the training pitch widened by five yards this week.”