Bradford City boss Graham Alexander has shared that forward Stephen Humphrys was initially expected to undergo surgery after suffering a severe case of tonsillitis earlier in the season.
With a long break in the schedule between the league clash against Rotherham last Thursday and the EFL Trophy tie with Everton’s Under-21s next Tuesday, it appeared the ideal time for the procedure.
However, Humphrys declined the chance to have his tonsils removed, telling Alexander he preferred to use the 12-day gap to train intensively and prove he deserves a place back in the lineup.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference at Woodhouse Grove on Friday afternoon, Alexander explained:
“Humps came to see me and said he wanted to make the most of this break by training as hard as possible.
He wanted to compete for his place and chose to delay the operation. I thought that was a fantastic sign of his attitude—it was entirely his own decision, showing how determined he is to work his way back into the team.”
The manager added that Humphrys has impressed on the training pitch this week, reinforcing his belief that the forward made the right call.
Humphrys will now be aiming to earn a spot in the squad for the EFL Trophy match against Everton’s young side, alongside fellow striker Calum Kavanagh, who has also completed a full week of training.
In defence, City’s injury list remains unchanged. Matthew Pennington, Aden Baldwin, and Curtis Tilt are still sidelined, though Pennington is the closest to returning. He has been working individually with the medical staff this week and is set to rejoin full team training on Monday.
Alexander noted that Pennington’s recovery has been carefully managed under concussion protocols, while Baldwin (calf) and Tilt (hamstring) continue to battle longer-term injuries.
“Tilty and Aden haven’t trained with us yet—they’re still not at that stage,” Alexander confirmed.