Balancing act for potential banana skin fixture against Coventry City bogey side

CommentsSportopinionAndy Turner Coventry City reporter05:00, 11 Mar 2026Coventry City face a potential banana skin fixture when they entertain bogey side Preston North End at the CBS Arena on Wednesday night (8pm).

The Sky Blues are back in promotion form and looking to extend their winning run to six games on their return to home soil where they’ve only lost one game all season. However, they face a Lilywhites’ team who have managed just one victory in their last ten games and a manager who has been scathing in his criticism of his players after their 3-1 Deepdale defeat to relegation battlers Oxford United at the weekend.

North End will then, one can assume, be going all out for a response against a side they have a history of doing well against, losing just once (last season) in their last 24 league meetings in the league, home and away

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Frank Lampard continues to be without centre-half Bobby Thomas and star midfielder Jack Rudoni – both of whom are sidelined with calf injuries – while centre-back Joel Latibeaudiere is serving a one match ban after his red card at Bristol at the weekend.

That means that Luke Woolfenden will continue in place of Thomas in the right-hand central defensive berth alongside Liam Kitching, who was required to fill the gap left by the sending off at Ashton Gate. As the only two fit recognised centre-backs, Lampard will be hoping they get through the game unscathed, albeit Jake Bidwell can operate in that position.

Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth picks himself, as do full-backs Milan van Ewijk and Jay Dasilva, while Matt Grimes is also a firm fixture in midfield. The question of who plays alongside the captain, however, is open for debate.

Victor Torp returned to the starting line-up in place of Frank Onyeka at the weekend – the latter having sat out of most of last week’s training with an injury. But Torp took a whack himself against the Robins, and Onyeka went on in the 2-0 win.

Lampard will also have Saturday’s home game with in-form Southampton in mind – a game in which Onyeka’s steely presence could be key to getting a grip of the Saints who are making a late surge for the play-offs.

In terms of the wings, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto started in place of Romain Esse at the weekend but a bit of squad rotation might be used to keep the Japanese wide man fresh, while Brandon Thomas-Asante could come in for Ephron Mason-Clark, again, if the head coach wants to make the most of his squad for the three games in the space of eight days.

That leaves the number ten position, which was occupied by Josh Eccles at Bristol but which can also be filled by Thomas-Asante or Esse, and the leading role up front. Haji Wright is bang in form with six goals in his last five games and will, no doubt, want to continue as he chases the 20-goal milestone which is just three away.

Ellis Simms is there if Lampard wants to freshen things up but it’s more likely that the USA striker will start and Simms will come off the bench at some stage.

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Predicted City team: Carl Rushworth; Milan van Ewijk, Luke Woolfenden, Liam Kitching, Jay Dasilva; Matt Grimes, Frank Onyeka; Romain Esse, Josh Eccles, Ephron Mason-Clark; Haji Wright.