COVENTRY City will hope to put their midweek misery behind them when they host Fulham at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Saturday lunchtime.
The Sky Blues were beaten 5-0 by Luton on Wednesday night – a result which leaves them fourth in the table just three points off the top.
Saturday’s clash also marks the club’s annual Jimmy Hill Day – with funds being raised for the Jimmy Hill Legacy Fund.
Hill was both manager and chairman of the Sky Blues having also played for and later become chairman of Fulham.
For every match ticket sold, £1 will be donated to the Legacy Fund and you can also donate online by clicking on the link below:
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/displayCharityCampaignPage.action?campaignId=3895
FORM
Coventry have a perfect home record since returning to their home city winning all five of their league matches at the CBS Arena this season.
Fulham sit in third place, one point ahead of the Sky Blues, and have scored more goals (22) than any other side in the Football League this term.
TEAM NEWS
City will be without Gus Hamer who is serving a one-game suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the campaign against Luton.
However, the Sky Blues are boosted by the return of Fankaty Dabo who has now served his three-game ban.
Fulham are set to be without Fabio Carvalho, Terence Kongolo, Tom Cairney and Kenny Tete who are all missing through injury.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAID
Sky Blues boss Robins is wary of the threat posed by striker Aleksandar Mitrovic who is top of the Championship scoring charts.
Robins told ccfc.co.uk: “We are under no illusions they are a very tough opposition, Mitrovic is the best striker in the division, and there are some good strikers in this division.
“They have other players in the team that can do the same thing, Harry Wilson is in there, Neeskins Kebano, Nathaniel Chalobah, Cavaleiro is very powerful.
“They’ve got a lot of top attacking players but the defenders are very powerful and they’ve got a goalkeeper who’s played at the top level.”
Cottagers manager Marco Silva is expecting a tough game given Coventry’s perfect home record in the league this season.
Silva told fulhamfc.com: “It will be a really difficult game for us, they are really strong at home, they are achieving very good results at home this season.
“With the intensity that they will push with, we have to match it in that situation, we will respect them, we have looked at their whole season, not just their last match.”
KEY PLAYERS
Coventry – Simon Moore – Summer signing Moore has been impressive between the sticks for City and will need to be at his best on Saturday lunchtime to keep out the league’s most prolific side and securea fourth successive home clean sheet.
Fulham – Aleksandar Mitrovic – The Serbia international is the league’s top scorer with 10 goals, having scored a hat-trick against Swansea City in midweek, City’s defence will be up against it to keep him at bay.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This will be the first league meeting between the two side’s in more than 53 years – since a 1-1 draw in the old First Division back in April 1968.
Coventry’s last win against the capital club came back in April 1949 – a 1-0 success in the old Second Division some 72 years ago.
PREDICTION
Sky Blues 0-2 Fulham – City should tighten up at the back after their midweek showing but will do well to come away with anything against one of the division’s strongest teams.
