Frank Lampard has made four changes to his Coventry City team to face Norwich at Carrow Road
Frank Lampard has made four changes to his Coventry City side to face fellow mid-table team Norwich City at Carrow Road.
The big news of the day is that Liam Kitching - who was sent off in the same fixture last season - gets his first start under the new head coach on a day when fellow centre-halves Bobby Thomas and Joel Latibeaudiere also continue in the team. The question is whether Lampard is switching to a back three or, more likely, sticking with back four and either deploying Latibeaudiere at right-back or as a holding midfielder?
The consensus of opinion in the press room is that the Jamaican will be deployed in midfield alongside Ben Sheaf and in place of Josh Eccles, who drops to the bench, which would leave Milan van Ewijk at right-back and Jake Bidwell at left-back – the latter continuing to be preferred to Jay Dasilva. Oliver Dovin, meanwhile, continues in goal ahead of Brad Collins and in the continued absence of the injured Ben Wilson.
READ MORE: Norwich v Coventry Live updates
READ MORE: Fresh injury concern as key Coventry City man due back on the grass after Norwich
Like Kitching, Jamie Allen also makes his first start for a long time, and looks as though he will play the more attacking midfield role, assuming Lampard sticks with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Brandon Thomas-Asante in for Tatsuhiro Sakamoto on the right. The Japanese winger picked up an ankle injury on New Year’s Day but has travelled to Norwich and is named on the bench.
That leaves Jack Rudoni to continue to deputise for the injured Ephron Mason-Clark on the left flank and Norman Bassette restored up top in place of Ellis Simms, who provides back-up from the bench.
City: Oliver Dovin; Milan Van Ewijk, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching, Jake Bidwell; Joel Latibeaudiere, Ben Sheaf; Brandon Thomas-Asante, Jamie Allen, Jack Rudoni; Norman Bassette.
Subs: Brad Collins (GK); Jay Dasilva, Luis Binks, Victor Torp, Ellis Simms, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Josh Eccles, Raphael Borges Rodrigues, Fabio Tavares.
