Mark Hughes on why he cannot get Huddersfield Town loanee into his Bradford City team

The centre-back, on loan from Huddersfield Town, picked up an eye injury against Mansfield Town on February 4 and has not started since. That is unlikely to change at Newport County on Saturday.

Hughes has named an unchanged back four for the seven matches since and the Bantams have conceded just three goals in that time. The run also coincided with a debut for January signing Sam Stubbs, son of former Rotherham United manager Alan.

“There’s confidence individually and collectively,” said Hughes. “Stubbsy has come in and added to that.

“Rom has been involved for a good part (22 League Two starts) and had a really good season. When he comes on in the latter part, which he has been doing (in the last two games), he helps with that solidity.

“He was unfortunate to go out of the team in the first place but, at the moment, it’s working for us. We look really solid and I’m loathed to break that up.

“You see some games and some guys look like they’re tiring and then, all of a sudden, they pick themselves up and look really strong.

“It’s a case of continuity in selection and see where that takes us.”

Newport will be trying to upset Bradford's solidity with a bit of chaos theory, particularly from long throw-ins.

“It’s not easy," said Hughes. "You’re only one irregular bounce or ricochet away from conceding – that’s the nature of a lot of the football at this level.

“You’ve got to be resolute and have a concentration level that sometimes makes you fear the worst.

“You have the old question, ‘What if this happens? What if that happens?’

“That’s just good self-talk that defenders have to have anyway and at this level you have to understand that mistakes can be made and speculative balls into your box can sometimes hurt you.”

Bradford’s recent form has taken them to within two points of the play-off places, albeit third-placed Stevenage have a game in hand.