Next weekend’s contest marks a clash between the last two season’s beaten play-off finalists, Coventry left broken-hearted after a 6-5 defeat on penalties in the 2022-23 Wembley final to Luton Town. Mark Robins’ side could then only manage a ninth-placed finish last season but the Sky Blues were and still are to a certain extent seen as among the main teams fancied for promotion from the 2024-25 campaign.
Coventry, though, have started the new season with a haul of just five points from their first six games, Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Swansea City leaving them sixth-bottom and just one point clear of the drop zone. Boss Robins has had plenty of injuries to contend with and Whites head coach Daniel Farke also had key men missing for the weekend’s visit to Cardiff City. Both teams now have a full week to prepare for Saturday afternoon’s 3pm kick-off and here we run through the injuries from both teams.
1. Patrick Bamford (back)
Bamford returned from a hamstring injury to make the bench for Saturday's clash at Cardiff for which he was an unused substitute. Photo: Ryan Hiscott
2. Ben Sheaf (back)
This season's captain, Sky Blues midfielder Sheaf returned from injury as a second-half substitute in the Carabao Cup defeat at home to Tottenham but then needed ice on his ankle in the aftermath. Sheaf, though, returned to the bench for Saturday's Championship clash at home to Swansea City for which he was an unused substitute. Photo: Nigel French
3. Jay Dasilva (back)
Coventry's Wales international defender missed the Carabao Cup clash against Spurs due to an ankle injury but made the bench for Saturday's league clash against Swansea in which he was brought on in the 89th minute. Photo: Pete Norton
4. Joel Latibeaudiere (back)
Another of Coventry's leaders, Jamaican international defender Latibeaudiere missed the Spurs cup clash due to muscle fatigue but the 24-year-old was back on the bench for the weekend's league hosting of Swansea for which he was an unused sub. Photo: Joe Giddens
5. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto (back)
Coventry's Japan international winger Sakamoto suffered an injury in last month's league clash against Norwich City and left in a protective boot but the 27-year-old returned to action at the weekend as a 63rd-minute sub in the 2-1 defeat at home to Swansea. Photo: Dan Istitene
6. Manor Solomon (doubt)
United's loan summer signing from Tottenham was a doubt for Saturday's clash at Cardiff due to back problems and failed to make the bench. It remains to be seen if he is back in the mix for the visit of Coventy. Photo: George Wood