FRANK Lampard fears in-form midfielder Jack Rudoni suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder in Coventry City’s thrilling win at Oxford United.
Rudoni opened the scoring after just seven minutes while Ephron Mason-Clark and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto also found the net at the Kassam Stadium.
And Lampard admits the loss of Rudoni, who is in double figures for assists this season, would come as a blow to his side.
Lampard said: “I think he’s dislocated his shoulder and it’s been popped back in and then it’s popped back out and been popped back in again.
“We will have to just have a look at that, but it was a brilliant header from Jack, another header, I don’t know how many headers we’ve scored this season but we’re getting balls into the box and getting numbers in there.
“It’s a shame, so we will have to see where he’s at after that, because he’s been looking really sharp, so it will be a shame if we lose him.”
Rudoni broke the deadlock with a diving header past Jamie Cumming from six-yards out from Sakamoto’s right-wing cross.
However, Oxford equalised on 53 minutes when Ole Romeny turned home Przemyslaw Placheta’s cutback from close range.
The Sky Blues reclaimed the lead five minutes later when Mason-Clark pounced on a loose clearance to rise above Cumming and head the ball into the net from six-yards out.
Oxford drew level for a second time on 62 minutes as Elliott Moore headed in Tyler Goodrham’s corner from the left.
City then won a penalty following a shirt pull on Bobby Thomas at a corner only for Cumming to deny Ellis Simms from the spot diving to his right.
However, Coventry took the lead for a third time on 71 minutes when Jake Bidwell’s cross from the left ran through to Sakamoto who produced an emphatic finish into the left corner of the goal via the aid of the post.
The Sky Blues have now won eight of their last nine league matches and sit fifth in the Championship table after moving into the play-off places.
However, Lampard insists City can still improve but feels the win at Oxford shows his side has developed since his appointment as head coach.
Lampard added: “We’ve made big strides there’s no doubt and results and performances give us a good feeling and we have to continue it.
“I say it every week the minute you rest on good feeling it becomes difficult this league. Every game is a challenge, and we found that out [against Oxford].
“My gut instinct is, three months ago a game that goes like that, similar to Portsmouth where we went to in my early days and we lost the game, a bit like this quite comfortably, so that’s probably development as a team and we need to continue with that.
“We can get loads better and that’s for us to analyse and keep going forward every week.”
Coventry are next in action against Stoke City on Saturday, March 8 with kick-off at 12.30pm at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
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