Championship football is back again. With the FA Cup out of the way, Bristol City return to league action against Coventry City this afternoon.

Liam Manning's Robins make the journey to the CBS Arena to face Frank Lampard's Sky Blues on Saturday afternoon as they look to extend their unbeaten run in the Championship to five matches, having picked up 10 points from a possible 12 over the festive period.

Coventry may not have quite hit the heights expected of them this season, as they currently sit 16th in the table, but they have proven hard to beat at home under Lampard. The former Chelsea boss hasn't lost any of his last five league games in front of the home crowd in the Midlands.

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As has been the case in recent weeks, Manning will have much of the same squad to pick from this weekend. While he will be boosted by the return of Rob Dickie, who missed the defeat to Wolves through illness, he will be without Marcus McGuane who picked up a concussion against Vitor Pereira's side.

With a quick turnaround between the clash with Coventry and Wednesday's trip to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday, the City head coach will once again have to manage his players' minutes carefully to avoid picking up any more injuries.

With that being said, we expect him to go strong against the Sky Blues this afternoon. Here's how we think Bristol City will start...

Goalkeeper and defence

It's just a matter of fact now that Max O'Leary will start between the posts for the Robins, barring a surprise injury or illness. The stopper pulled off some big saves against Wolves and remains the first name on the teamsheet.

Ahead of him, we expect Manning to make a single change to the back three that started last time out. Our expectation is that Luke McNally will continue as the left centre-back, with Zak Vyner moving back to his preferred position on the right side of the backline.

Vyner's shift in position will allow Dickie to slot back into the fold in the middle of the defence. The former QPR man is still arguably City's best defender and if he has gotten over his illness as Manning has suggested, it would be a surprise to not see him included in the starting line-up.

Of course, the Reds boss could surprise us all and start Kal Naismith instead. The Scotsman is fit again after a spell on the sidelines, but he will almost certainly have to settle for a place on the bench having fallen down the pecking order slightly.

Midfield

With Cam Pring not expected to return until February at the earliest, we're pretty sure Haydon Roberts will continue at left wing-back. While the former Brighton man had a few shaky moments against Wolves, he improved as the game wore on and impressed at times in possession. Yes, Elijah Morrison could be given a surprise start instead but judging by the fact he didn't come off the bench in last week's FA Cup game, our bet is that he will once again take his place among the substitutes.

On the opposite flank, we expect Ross McCrorie to get the nod ahead of George Tanner at right wing-back. This is genuinely a toss-up as both players have impressed since returning from injury, however, we think McCrorie's physicality and attacking style could prove to be a useful tool when attempting to break down Coventry's backline.

Between the two wing-backs, it would be a surprise to see anyone other than Jason Knight and Max Bird start in the middle of the park. With McGuane sidelined and Joe Williams not yet ready to return from injury, the midfield pairing that served the Reds so well over the festive period appears set to reunite having been separated against Wolves.

George Earthy is the obvious alternative if either player is unable to start for any particular reason. The West Ham loanee is naturally more of an attacking midfielder, but Manning has emphasised his willingness to deploy him in a deeper position if need be.

Attack and striker

One of the primary reasons Bristol City were so successful over the festive period was the link-up play between the midfielders, number 10s and striker. Because of that, our bet is that Manning will go with the attacking trio that started the majority of the games between Christmas and New Year.

Anis Mehmeti looks likely to continue as the left-sided attacking midfielder. The Albanian international is the Robins' top scorer with nine goals this season and although he struggled to take his chances in last Saturday's FA Cup game, he still carried a threat throughout. It would be a surprise to see him dropped to the bench, especially after a week between games.

Alongside him, we expect Scott Twine to start. The former Burnley man has been a joy to watch over the last few weeks and looks as if he has properly found his feet in City colours. Of course, the Reds will have to manage him well to ensure he doesn't pick up the sort of injuries that have plagued him so far at Ashton Gate. However, now that he has 90 minutes under his belt, starting against the Sky Blues on Saturday shouldn't be an issue.

Ahead of the attacking midfielders, our bet is that Nahki Wells will lead the line. The Bermudian international dropped to the bench against Wolves and Fally Mayulu did very little to show that he should be starting instead as he struggled to impact proceedings against Premier League opposition.

With Sinclair Armstrong also still making his way back from injury and Mayulu seemingly unlikely to start again, the only alternative at the top end of the pitch would be Sam Bell. Although the academy graduate has impressed off the bench, it would be a surprise to see him, or anyone for that matter, beat Wells to the number nine position.

Bristol City XI (3-4-2-1): Max O'Leary; Luke McNally, Rob Dickie, Zak Vyner; Haydon Roberts, Jason Knight, Max Bird, Ross McCrorie; Anis Mehmeti, Scott Twine, Nahki Wells

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