Frank Lampard makes keeper call amid two injury returns to Coventry City line-up v Middlesbrough
Coventry City team news from CoventryLive as Frank Lampard names his Sky Blues starting line-up to face Middlesbrough at the CBS Arena
Frank Lampard has restored Ben Wilson to the starting line-up amid four changes to his Coventry City team to face Middlesbrough in today’s final push for a place in the play-offs.
The Sky Blues boss has dropped Brad Collins following last week’s late mistake at Luton and thrown Wilson back in for the crucial last game of the season at the CBS Arena – the 32-year-old playing his first senior game in seven months, having had three out with a knee injury.
Elsewhere, Milan van Ewijk makes a welcome return to the side after sitting out last week’s game with a groin issue, and the Dutchman resumes his place at right-back on a day when Jake Bidwell comes back in at left-back for the suspended Jay Dasilva.
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And the other bit of good news is the return of centre-half Bobby Thomas from a calf strain, with the defender coming in for Joel Latibeaudiere to partner Liam Kitching at the heart of the back four.
The midfield sees skipper Ben Sheaf continue his partnership with Matt Grimes while Tatsuhiro Sakamoto is once again deployed on the left wing and Haji Wright on the left in the continued absence of injured Ephron Mason-Clark.
Championship: Build-up with title, play-off spots and relegation to be decided
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We’ll obviously talk you through which teams need what today as we approach kick off.
However, if you just can’t wait that long and want a one-stop shop of what’s what in the Championship then don’t worry, we’ve go you covered.
Click here to read a comprehensive breakdown of the situation at the bottom plus the race for the play-offs and the title.
‘We know how they generally play’ – Coventry City boss Frank Lampard’s Middlesbrough admission
What Frank Lampard said about Middlesbrough ahead of the huge final-day clash with his Coventry side
Frank Lampard admits he has a good idea of what to expect from Middlesbrough, as he prepared his Coventry City side for a huge final-day showdown.
Coventry and Boro do battle at the CBS Arena on Saturday, with a win for Lampard’s side guaranteeing them a spot in the play-offs. The reverse would not make it absolutely certain for Boro, as they also rely on results elsewhere if they do manage to end a seven-match streak without a win over the Sky Blues.
While Boro might take some encouragement from the fact Mark Robins is no longer in charge of Coventry, they’ll be well aware of the dramatic turnaround their season underwent thanks to the appointment of Lampard. And the Chelsea legend will be hoping his Boro expectations help his side, with Carrick hinting that he won’t be drastically changing his side’s approach.
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Lampard said: “We know Middlesbrough’s style, we know how they generally play. They’re a good team who have been up and around it all season so who knows how it’ll affect them. We have to concentrate on what they are, what we feel they will be, the individuals in their team, their collective and their ideas.
“You would think that not many things will change from what they do a lot because they’re a good team and Michael’s (Carrick) been there a while and he’s got a style of how he wants to play. We’ll just have to manage the game as it goes on because of what’s on it. It is a knockout game, in effect.
“We’ve got some young players and hopefully the freshness and the youth there can keep them quite free going into it and enjoying the challenge as opposed to being overwhelmed by the task. That would be my message because, as I say, it’s easier to say when you come from where we have come from. So let’s see what we can do.”
Boro have had problems throughout the season with opposition teams setting up differently against them in order to try and limit Boro’s threat. While Carrick’s often stated it to be a compliment, the issue is that his side have struggled to adapt and find an alternative way. Carrick might need exactly that on Saturday in the Midlands.
