Coventry City news from CoventryLive as we take a look at what’s happening in and around the Sky Blues this week as Mark Robins prepares his players to face Norwich
Coventry City could complete a perfect week if they manage to record a third league win in eight days to head into the international break in style. The Sky Blues face a tough challenge when they host seventh-placed Norwich City at the CBS Arena, having beaten QPR 3-1 at Loftus Road last Saturday and backed up that result superbly with a 1-0 half-time win over Blackburn Rovers.
Mark Robins’ main concern for playing the Canaries is twofold: to come up with a plan to overcome another midfield injury and to give his fit men enough rest to recover so they are not too tired from a tough three-match schedule. a week His biggest concern is Jamie Allen, who has started the last two games, only just coming back from a summer heart problem.
Here we look at what’s going on in and around the club in preparation for Saturday’s big home game against one of the division’s promotion favourites.
Beware bogey side
Mark Robins admits his former club Norwich City have become a bit of a bogey side for the Sky Blues in recent seasons – a trend that he’s determined to buck when his players entertain David Wagner’s men this weekend. The Canaries did the Championship double over Coventry last season, winning 4-2 at the CBS Arena in January, having secured a comprehensive 3-0 victory at Carrow Road earlier in the 2022/23 campaign.
The sides have met three times in the 2020/21 season, with the Norfolk side again beating City 2-0 at St Andrew’s, while the Sky Blues grabbed a point in a 1-1 draw. Thanks to Max Biamou off as they lost 2-0 in the FA Cup. “Norwich is a team we haven’t done great against,” Robins said. “Actually, we were really bad against them. So I think we can look at that and do better than we did, which was just a point in the last four league games. COVID, when the crowd wasn’t there, so yeah, it’s definitely a possibility.”
sea sickness
Norwich, meanwhile, travel to the CBS Arena without a win in their last four away games – 2-1 defeats at Rotherham and Swansea, an EFL Cup defeat at Fulham and a 6-2 defeat in the new division. . arriving at Plymouth Argyle. Mark Robins is therefore bracing himself for a bit of a setback, warning: “They’ve lost four away games in their last four games and were disappointed, but they’re a good team full of good players.
“There is no doubt, things have changed a bit and they have injuries. Josh Sargent is injured and surgery and Grant Hanley is another one who is out. But they have experienced players who know their way out of the league; have played at a higher level and they again have real talent in the squad so we have to be at our best to get something out of the game and we can be at our best and it might not be enough. But my only concern is just making sure that we’ve got enough energy on the pitch at all times.”
Talking of Biamou, the former favourite was at the CBS Arena again on Wednesday night to cheer on the club which clearly still holds a special place in his heart. Remarkably, the 32-year-old has barely played since being released by the Sky Blues in the summer of 2021, after which he had a brief spell at Dundee United, playing just three times from the bench. The French striker has had injury problems but has recently recovered from surgery and is now hoping to find a new club to rekindle his career. Meanwhile, Gus Hamer was also in attendance again, with the former City star clearly having strong ties to the club.
