The 3 Coventry City players surely guaranteed to start v Leicester in the opening game | OneFootball

Coventry City come into this upcoming Championship season looking to put the heartbreak of the Championship play-off final defeat against Luton Town well and truly behind them.

One way of doing that is to gain early momentum in the following season, something which Mark Robins will be stressing to his players in pre-season despite uncertainty over key individuals such as Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer. Despite Gyokeres' move to Sporting CP being imminent, the Sky Blues have made a shrewd replacement in the form of Ellis Simms.

The opening day of the season is met with excitement like no other across the nation, as clubs get set for the gruelling 46-game season. However, Sky Blues' fans will meet the 2023/24 opener with equal amounts of hope and expectation as they face Leicester City in the 'M69 Derby' in front of the TV cameras on August 6th.

Who are Coventry's guaranteed starters v Leicester?

Here are some of City's players who look like dead certainties to be in Mark Robins' starting lineup for the clash at the King Power Stadium at this moment in time.

Ben Wilson

If his key outfield duo are to depart, Robins' first name on the teamsheet will undoubtedly be Ben Wilson.

The 30-year-old enjoyed the most successful season of his career to date, helping Coventry reach the play-off final whilst he was named in the EFL's official team of the season, accumulating 22 clean sheets after regaining a place in the starting eleven in late August.

As well as becoming an extremely reliable goalkeeper, he has emerged as a Sky Blues fan favourite, particularly for his stoppage-time goal in April against Blackburn Rovers.

Some unexpected circumstances between now and the opening day would have to take place for Wilson to lose the number one spot for the Sky Blues.

Will Ellis Simms be a starter for Coventry?

With Viktor Gyokeres' departure to Sporting CP imminent, it would be expected that Ellis Simms is to fill the void left by the 21-goal Swede after his exit.

However, Sky Blues fans need not be worried about a potential dip in quality, as Simms has already proven his goalscoring capabilities at Championship level with Sunderland.

There is also a case to be made that Simms is even further in his overall career development than Gyokeres was when he first made the move to City in 2020.

Simms' physicality as well as goalscoring knowledge will definitely offer Robins a different dimension.

Kyle McFadzean

One of the most experienced heads in this Coventry squad, Kyle McFadzean, will yet again be an important figure in this upcoming season if they are to replicate a play-off challenge.

It has to be said that the 36-year-old didn't have his best game in the Wembley defeat, but he will certainly not be lacking in motivation ahead of next season.