Coventry City boss Frank Lampard will be without Jack Rudoni and Bobby Thomas for up to three games.
Jack Rudoni and Bobby Thomas are set to miss the next three Championship games as Coventry City enter the final straight with ten games to go to gain automatic promotion to the Premier League.
The news is a blow to the Sky Blues – both players having suffered calf injuries in last week’s victory over Stoke.
Frank Lampard is working on the timeline that they will sit out this week’s home matches against Preston North End and Southampton, while also the trip to Swansea in just under a fortnight, although the head coach did say that there is a slim chance of them returning before the international break which starts following the game in South Wales.
“We don’t have Bobby for probably the next three games, potentially, so we’re getting a bit thin there but the boys coming in have done well,” said the City boss, who drafted in Luke Woolfenden to cover the right-hand central defensive berth at Bristol City where Coventry won 2-0, courtesy of first half goals from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Haji Wright.
“So we’re getting a bit thin there, but the boys coming have done well.
“He suffered a calf injury against Stoke and he’ll probably be out going into and around the international break. Hopefully he’ll be back for the game before but, if not, just after.”
To exacerbate the shortage at centre-back, Joel Latibeaudiere was sent off for a professional foul as he denied Emil Riis a clear run at goal, and was replaced by Liam Kitching who, like Woolfenden, did well and played their part in the clean sheet at Ashton Gate. Latibeaudiere faces a one match ban which he’ll serve on Wednesday night against Preston.
As for star midfielder Rudoni, who has only just returned to top form with three goals in as many games, Lampard revealed: “Rudi has done the same as Bobby and it’s the same timescale.”
Asked if it was the same injury that kept him out for ten games earlier in the season, he said: “I don’t know at this stage.”
Josh Eccles filled in on the day in the number ten role.
The only other casualty is to Victor Torp who required treatment on the field at Bristol after a dangerous looking challenge. The midfielder came off in the 84th minute but asked if he is OK, Lampard said: “Yeah, as far as I know. The way he ran around and continued to the 80th minute or whatever when he came off suggests he was okay. But I think it was a nasty one, quite high up and on his shin.”
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