Coventry City latest: Optimism after QPR win, Blackburn team news emerges, Pundit prediction | OneFootball

Highlights

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Coventry City are back in action on Wednesday night as they host Blackburn, looking to make it consecutive victories in the Championship.

Coventry endure tough start

Mark Robins’ side defied the odds to reach the play-off final last season, and the current campaign was always going to be challenging after influential duo Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres departed.

Those sales allowed the recruitment team to spend big by Championship standards in the window, so there is a hope that Coventry will come good.

Nevertheless, patience was going to be required, and the Sky Blues are yet to find their best form, as they sit in the bottom half going into the midweek games.

Optimism after QPR win

Conceding a stoppage time equaliser to Huddersfield last Monday was a sickener for Coventry given their slow start, but they didn’t let that impact them as they went to QPR on Saturday.

It felt like a big game for Robins’ men, and they delivered, with an assured performance, which was capped off by two goals for summer signing Ellis Simms, who has been inconsistent since his arrival from Everton.

So, there’s a lot more belief and hope around the club now, as they look to force their way back into the play-off picture.

Next up, the Sky Blues host a Blackburn side that have been very entertaining this season, but they are vulnerable defensively, evident by the four they conceded to Leicester on Sunday.

Pleasingly for Robins, there are no fresh injury concerns from the win over the R’s last time out, but the squad is still stretched.

The likes of Callum O’Hare, Ben Sheaf, Kasey Palmer and Milan van Ewijk all remain out, with the injury issues hindering Coventry in the opening weeks of the season.

Jamie Allen was fit enough to start in the capital on Saturday, which was a boost, but Robins’ group is still stretched right now, but he’s unlikely to make any changes for the visit of Blackburn due to a lack of options.

The likes of Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Haji Wright are two potential options if the boss wants to freshen things up. Although, as mentioned, Robins is likely to stick with the XI that played so well against QPR as they look to get going this season.

David Prutton predicts a Coventry win

On paper, this looks like a very tough game to call, as the two sides are separated by just one point, with Coventry ahead of Rovers.

Yet, Blackburn have impressed at times this season, and many would argue that they are in a false position at this early stage.

Therefore, Robins knows they will provide his side with a stern test, and neutral observers will expect a close game.

Sky Sports pundit Prutton falls into that category, and he believes the game will be decided by a single goal, as he backed the Sky Blues to win 2-1 in his regular prediction column.