Coventry City Boss Ruled Out Starting Duo And Provide Triple Injury Blow Ahead Of Huge Game At Luton Town

Coventry City are preparing for one of their biggest games of the season so far in the continued absence of two key players and a big impact sub.

The Sky Blues travel to relegation fighters Luton Town on Saturday knowing that victory will be a huge boost to their bid to make the play-offs with one game left to play, at home to promotion rivals Middlesbrough.

But head coach Frank Lampard has ruled out the involvement of regular starters Bobby Thomas and Ephron Mason-Clark for the lunchtime kick-off at Kenilworth Road where back-up striker Norman Bassette will also be missing due to injury. Centre-back Thomas is currently nursing a calf strain, winger Mason-Clark a foot issue and Bassette a quad strain.

Providing an update on the injured trio ahead of the weekend match, the City boss said: “Ephron’s out, Norman’s out and Bobby’s not playing either.”

Asked if he’s hopeful of getting any of them back any time soon, he added: “Norman’s going to be… he’s got a fresh quad injury, sort of low to mid-level one so we’ll just have to see how quickly that recovers.

“With Bobby we’re hopeful. He’s progressing really well so we’re hopeful that he’ll be involved for Middlesbrough. We hope.

“Ephron probably won’t make Middlesbrough.”

It’s hoped that all three would be back fit for the play-off campaign, assuming City get over the line, but the news is a blow to the Sky Blues at such a critical time of the season, and Lampard knows the importance of others stepping up to show their value to the squad.

“We haven’t got the biggest squad and we have got a lot of injuries,” he said. “When I say a lot of injuries it’s not big, big numbers but it’s important players to the team, you know, when you look at Ollie (Dovin), Torpy (Victor Torp), Ephron and Bobby, they have started a lot of games for us this season when they have been fit.

“So we have to trust in the players that come in and they have to add and help us at this stage of the season, and that’s the whole point of having a squad and that’s why we need a strong squad in every area across the team.”