Coventry City’s Probable Lineup as Lampard Plots Sunderland Comeback
Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner of CoventryLive offers his predicted Coventry City lineup, as he attempts to anticipate Frank Lampard’s team selection ahead of the crucial second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Frank Lampard faces a significant tactical challenge, needing to mastermind a comeback after his side fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat in the first leg. Sunderland, having snatched a late win at the CBS Arena thanks to Eliezer Mayenda’s 88th-minute strike, now carry both the advantage of a lead and home support into Tuesday night’s decider. However, Lampard will be well aware that all is not lost—especially given his past experience in the 2019 play-offs, where he famously led Derby County to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to beat Leeds United 4-2 at Elland Road.
One of the key questions heading into the match is what starting XI Lampard will field to inspire a similar turnaround. In goal, Ben Wilson is expected to retain his spot. The fixture holds personal significance for him, as the Durham native will be playing at the senior level for the first time at the club he supported and developed with during his youth.
The defensive setup is unlikely to change. Milan van Ewijk will be determined to bounce back from his costly backpass that led to Sunderland’s late goal in the first leg and is set to start at right-back. On the opposite flank, Jay Dasilva impressed on his return from suspension and, as an attacking full-back, should retain his place over Jake Bidwell. The central defensive pairing of Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching is also expected to stay intact.
In midfield, Matt Grimes continues to be a mainstay and will likely be joined by Ben Sheaf. Options like Jamie Allen and Josh Eccles provide Lampard with flexibility, should he wish to tweak the setup. On the wings, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto is anticipated to start again on the right after giving Sunderland plenty of trouble in the first leg, especially in the opening half.
The left wing is a more open question. Haji Wright has featured there in recent weeks, but the return of Ephron Mason-Clark—who got 20 minutes off the bench last weekend after a five-game absence—gives Lampard a potential game-changing option. If deemed fit to start, Mason-Clark could offer much-needed attacking spark from the outset. That scenario would allow Wright to shift into a central striker role, with Jack Rudoni operating just behind as the attacking midfielder.
If Lampard chooses to keep Mason-Clark as a substitute for late impact, Wright will probably remain out wide. That would then leave a decision between Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante to lead the line. While Thomas-Asante struggled to make an impact when starting against Sunderland, he did show more promise coming off the bench against Middlesbrough—potentially giving Simms the edge to start against his former loan club.
Regardless of who makes the starting XI, a huge collective effort will be required if Coventry City are to overturn the deficit and book their ticket to Wembley.
Predicted Starting XI:
Ben Wilson; Milan van Ewijk, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching, Jay Dasilva; Matt Grimes, Ben Sheaf; Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Jack Rudoni, Ephron Mason-Clark; Haji Wright.
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