It’s fair to say it’s going to be a bit strange for all concerned when Mark Robins makes his first return to Coventry City on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off).

As well as being really odd seeing the former Sky Blues boss in the opposite dugout, it will also be a delicate balancing act for the supporters to know exactly how and when to show their appreciation for the man they never had chance to say good-bye to when he was sacked in November for not getting the most out of the group of players his Stoke City side will be trying to beat.

That group of players he assembled, of course, has shot up the table since his departure.

Aside from January signing Matt Grimes and free agent addition Jamie Paterson, Robins knows Frank Lampard’s squad inside out and will therefore be better placed than most opposition managers to come up with a game plan to stop them, knowing each and every one their strengths and weaknesses.

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The Coventry players, meanwhile, will be focused on getting another three points to tighten their grip on the play-off positions after last weekend’s 3-2 win at Oxford United moved the club up to fifth place in the Championship with 11 games to go.

So what team will Lampard – who is up for the Manager of the Month award for February along with Daniel Farke of Leeds, John Mousinho of Portsmouth and Burnley’s Scott Parker – put out against The Potters?

The head coach stuck with a winning team at the Kassam Stadium, following the previous week’s 2-1 victory over Preston, but is likely to be forced into at least one change this time around due to the injury to Jack Rudoni. Although we’re yet to learn the full prognosis after the 23-year-old attacking midfielder dislocated a shoulder throwing himself forward to score a headed goal, it appears unlikely he’ll be fit for this weekend’s lunchtime match at the CBS Arena.

Who will come into the team to replace him is the big question? Ben Sheaf replaced him from the bench when he went off just before half-time at Oxford, and the fit-again skipper is expected to make his first start alongside Grimes after recovering from his calf injury that kept him out for several weeks.

But who takes up the more attacking, play-maker role in Lampard’s preferred 4-3-3 system remains to be seen. Victor Torp comes back into contention but, having sat out for three games with a calf issue, may not be ready to come straight back into the starting line-up. That means it’s likely to be a toss up between Josh Eccles and Jamie Allen if Lampard is looking for a tried and trusted central midfield operator who can do both sides of the game.

Other options include Paterson, who has played that role before, and even Ephron Mason-Clark. However, the fact that Haji Wright is not yet fit enough to start would suggest that the former Peterborough United winger will continue out wide, providing the perfect balance to the threat from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto on the right.

Wright, meanwhile, was deployed up front on his return from almost four months out with an ankle injury, going on as a straight swap for Ellis Simms for the last 15 minutes as the USA international continues to build up his game time.

Brandon Thomas-Asante and Norman Bassette – the latter of whom didn’t even make the bench last week, such is the strength of the squad now – are other striking options but there’s nothing to suggest Simms will be left out, particularly given his current form.

Looking at the other end of the pitch, it’s unlikely to look any different from Oxford with Oliver Dovin continuing in goal behind a central defensive partnership of Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching, with Milan van Ewijk at right-back and Jake Bidwell at left-back.

Predicted City team v Stoke: Oliver Dovin; Milan van Ewijk, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching, Jake Bidwell; Jamie Allen, Matt Grimes, Ben Sheaf; Tatsuhiro Satamoto, Ellis Simms, Ephron Mason-Clark.