Sunderland will look to extend their three-game unbeaten run when they travel to the CBS Arena for Saturday’s Championship meeting with Coventry City.
The Black Cats head into the weekend in fourth spot, while Coventry are 13 points further back in the final playoff position.
Match preview
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Coventry are sitting in sixth spot after winning nine of their last 11 Championship matches, including a run of five consecutive victories prior to Tuesday’s clash against Frank Lampard‘s former side Derby County.
Unfortunately for Coventry, their winning run came to an end at Pride Park, falling to a 2-0 defeat following goals from Matt Clarke and Marcus Harness, leaving the Sky Blues just two points clear of Bristol City in seventh position.
Lampard’s charges will now return to the CBS Arena, where they have lost just one of their previous 11 Championship matches (W7, D3).
The Sky Blues have also won each of their last three home outings, including a dramatic 3-2 victory against Stoke City in their most recent home game, which came courtesy of Bobby Thomas‘s stoppage-time winner.
Those three strikes took Coventry’s overall tally to 31 goals from 18 home league matches – only two Championship teams have scored more on home turf.
They tend to fare well in meetings with Sunderland in front of their own supporters, having avoided defeat in each of their last 11 head-to-head home league games (D5, L6).
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After collecting 69 points from 37 matches, Sunderland are all but guaranteed a playoff spot with 15 points separating them from seventh-placed Bristol City.
However, their hopes of achieving automatic promotion appear to be hanging by a thread, sitting eight points adrift of the top two with nine matches left to play.
After losing consecutive matches, Sunderland looked to have got their promotion bid back on track when they claimed successive 2-1 victories over Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City.
The Black Cats were unable to make it three wins on the bounce in Tuesday’s clash with Preston North End, but they did at least salvage a 1-1 draw thanks to Romaine Mundle‘s 86th-minute winner.
Regis Le Bris‘s side will be looking to claim all the spoils in Saturday’s fixture, especially as they have won three of their previous four away league games.
However, clinching all three points will be easier said than done given the fact they have not won an away league game against Coventry since April 1985.
Team News
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Coventry’s Jack Rudoni remains unavailable for selection, having missed the last two matches with a shoulder problem.
Midfielder Ben Sheaf and forward Brandon Thomas-Asante will have to be assessed after they sat out the midweek defeat against Derby.
Lampard may decide to make a couple of changes in a bid to freshen up his side, with Jay Dasilva and Ephron Mason-Clark pushing for recalls after dropping down to the bench on Tuesday.
As for the visitors, they are unable to call upon Dan Ballard, Ian Poveda, Ahmed Abdullahi, Jayden Danns, Salis Abdul Samed and Aji Alese.
Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee is set to miss a fourth consecutive game with a hamstring injury, although there is hope that he could be available after the international break.
Mundle is pushing for a recall after coming off the bench to score a late equaliser against Preston, while there may also be a starting opportunity for academy product Chris Rigg.
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Dovin; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Dasilva; Torp, Grimes, Eccles; Sakamoto, Mason-Clark, Simms
Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Patterson; Hume, Mepham, O’Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Bellingham; Roberts, Rigg, Mundle; Mayenda
We say: Coventry City 1-1 Sunderland
Four of the last seven meetings between the two sides have finished all square, including a 2-2 draw in November’s reverse fixture, and with that in mind, we think Coventry and Sunderland could cancel one another out to play out another draw on Saturday.
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