Coventry City are boosted by the availability of January signing Matt Grimes when they get back to Championship action against a recovering Queens Park Rangers tonight (7.45pm).

Frank Lampard opted not to throw the influential midfielder in for his full debut against leaders Leeds United and he sat out the weekend’s match against Ipswich due to being cup-tied, but the City boss will surely start the 29-year-old against the Hoops.

As well as offering controlling quality in the middle of the park, he also provides fresh legs amid such a heavy schedule of fixtures and Sky Blues fans are, therefore, expected to see the former Swansea skipper make his full debut for his new club. Who he comes in for remains to be seen but the likelihood is that Jamie Allen will be the one to make way, and that makes perfect sense given that he’s been operating in the holding role in recent weeks.

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Allen also started in the FA Cup at the weekend and played 75 minutes, having played just over an hour a few days earlier against Leeds when he was replaced by Grimes. And assuming Lampard sticks with his current 3-5-2 formation, we can expect Victor Torp and Jack Rudoni to operate as number eights either side of the new man.

Expect Milan van Ewijk to return at right wing-back in place of Joel Latibeaudiere after being rested due to fatigue against the Tractor Boys, while an adductor injury to Jake Bidwell means Jay Dasilva is expected to continue at left wing-back, although Jack Burroughs is an option. The back three, meanwhile, is a case of three from Latibeaudiere, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching and Luis Binks – the latter having the freshest legs.

Ben Wilson was back on the bench as Lampard named two back-up keepers in his matchday squad on Saturday – a measure of how stretched City were at the weekend – but Oliver Dovin is expected to continue in goal after a decent run of form from the keeper.

As for the front two, with Ellis Simms having been rested last time out, he will be favourite to return to the starting line-up. He had been building a partnership with Brandon Thomas-Asante and that could continue after the latter’s match minutes had been managed in the last two games, playing 45 minutes against Leeds and 62 against Ipswich. Norman Bassette, meanwhile, who appears to have slipped down the pecking order in recent weeks, is the other option, and provides terrific pace and energy.

There’s a chance that left winger Ephron Mason-Clark could return to the squad after recovering from a hamstring strain but it’s unlikely the former Peterborough man would be thrown straight back into the starting line-up and, therefore, is more likely to be used from the bench if Lampard feels the need to change formation, in which case Tatsuhiro Sakamoto would also come into play.

Predicted City team v QPR: Oliver Dovin; Joel Latibeaudiere, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching; Milan van Ewijk, Victor Torp, Matt Grimes, Jack Rudoni, Jay Dasilva; Brandon Thomas-Asante, Ellis Simms.