Source: FOOTYMAD
Boothroyd aims to do double over Robins
Clingan back in place of Cranie Coventry City entertain Bristol City at The Ricoh on Saturday and the Sky Blues boss Aidy Boothroyd is preparing his side to do their first double of the season. Coventry Beat Bristol City at Ashton Gate earlier in the season, but have yet to record a double over any other side in the league so far this season. The Robins are going through a severe injury crisis in their defence just as Coventry are recovering from their own, but the Sky Blues will be without Martin Cranie who is serving his one game ban for being sent off at Leicester last week after bookable offences. Bristol City will travel to The Ricoh without former Coventry defender Louis Carey who fractured his skull in their clash with Scunthorpe last week. Robins boss Keith Millen drafted in West Ham's young right back Jordan Spence on an emergency loan during the week to cover for the injured Carey. The Coventry boss is keen to take advantage of their injury problems as he battles to get his side back into some sort of form after a dismal last two months which has seen his side slip from a solid fifth place, challenging for promotion, to 18th and trying to avoid the spectre of relegation. “We have got to make sure we give them a good game and see if we can take some points off them,” said Boothroyd. “It would be nice to do the double over them but they are a different team to the one we beat earlier in the season. They have shored up and are very strong and have got two good wingers, particularly Albert Adomah who is very quick and tricky, and a player I have liked for a long time." “Marvin Elliott and Khalifa Cisse have been around and have got a nice balance with Nicky Maynard and David Clarkson up front so they will be a difficult team to beat.” Boothroyd will not be able to call on Cranie as he is banned for one game, but Sammy Clingan is fit again and played for 60 minutes in a practise match in midweek without any injury worries. The loss of Cranie is a blow to Boothroyd, but he is philosophical about it saying, “It is a blow but thankfully he only misses one game and he’ll come back into contention for the Doncaster game.” Boothroyd has a ready made replacement in Clingan whose return to fitness is timely. “Sammy played 60 minutes in a practise match on Wednesday and came through fine,” said the City boss. “He made a couple of block tackles and whipped in a couple of crosses so his medial ligament is in good shape and he comes into contention for a starting place tomorrow.” Boothroyd is hoping Clive Platt will have recovered from a bout of flu which has kept him at home all week. Lukas Jutkievicz has also shown symptoms of the flu, but he has not been suffering as much as Platt and both strikers could be fit to make the squad.
