Just two places and five points separate United from tonight’s opponents with both teams heading into the encounter in decent form.
The Bantams are six games unbeaten, with the Blues with a run of five, and both teams currently sit firmly in the all-important top seven spots.
“It’s a brilliant game, you always get a big crowd at Bradford, there’s always a good atmosphere and a little bit of hostility around it,” manager Paul Simpson said. “We’ve got so much to play for, so let’s look forward to it.
“It’s another important game, but every single one is when you’re sat in the league position that we are. There’s so much to play for.
“We are so close to achieving something that you've got to get up for every single game, whether that be physically and mentally or technical and tactical, you have to be spot on.
“I think the technical side let us down a bit on Saturday, so let’s hope that tonight we make sure that part of it is better.
“There are some tired legs but it’s football, you get on with it. We know the fixtures, we know we have a game, and we’ve had many Saturday-Tuesday runs already this season. You just deal with it.”
And the trip to Valley Parade is the first of 10 huge games in the space of just seven weeks.
“It’s going to test everybody,” he agreed. “What I would say, I wish I was young enough to be involved in them because what a brilliant opportunity we've got, so there’ll be no complaints from us.
“It’s 10 games in seven weeks. So what? Let's bring it on. Let's get the next one. Let's get freshened up and be prepared. We're no different to Bradford, they played on Saturday. We'll go into it on an even keel and hopefully we'll come out on top.
“This run of fixtures, we all want to do ourselves justice. Like I say, there's always a good crowd, it’s always got a bit of atmosphere and a little bit of hostility about it.
“It’s a good one to be involved in and if as a footballer we can't get up for that type of game, then we have got problems. We’re still in a good position, so let’s keep it going.”
With the team unchanged on Saturday, he hinted that there could be some to come for the Tuesday fixture.
“I will be considering that going into the game,” he confirmed. “It's up to us to pick a team that's going to be effective, and be fresh.
“We're going to need energy because their crowd give their players energy, and hopefully our support will give us energy.
“We’re hearing we’ll have close to a thousand again and it’s a game where everything about it inspires you. The league table inspires you. What we've done for 36 games, and what the supporters have done with us, that inspire us.
“The players inspire each other, the way they go about it. They’ve got to go and inspire themselves for number 37 now.
“We’re in a good position now but it’s after the 46 games that we'll concern ourselves. We just keep working. Keep going the way we've been doing, hope that we get enough energy into the team and hope we can go and do it properly there.
“They have a striker Carlisle fans know well who is in form, Andy Cook. He’s flying, he got another two at the weekend. it's going to be a tough game.
“I'd like to think the way that we're going, they'll think it's going to be tough as well. You know, we've got to go in with the belief that we've earned over the 36 games we've played so far. And make sure we go and do it really well.”
But will he have any additions to the group from the players on the road back from injury?
“I don't think so,” he said. “I think it's the same group again. It’s maybe still a bit early for Jack Ellis, but Jamie Devitt, Ben Barclay, they'll be part of our consideration.
“We’ll see. Certainly nobody came off because of injury on Saturday. The changes were tactical and looking for fresh legs. We’ll assess what we have available and take it from there.”
