Robins is ready to change team for cup clash

COVENTRY City boss Mark Robins is set to make changes for tonight’s league cup clash with Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn Rovers.

The Sky Blues boss could have goalkeeper Lee Burge back in contention after recovering from a shoulder injury while he is still waiting on centre-half Jordan Willis, who sat out the weekend’s opening day League Two victory over Notts County with a foot injury.

And while last season’s skipper is expected to be fit for Saturday’s trip to Russell Slade’s Grimsby Town, it’s unlikely he’ll be risked when Mowbray makes his first return to the Ricoh Arena.

“I think I’m going to have to make changes,” revealed Robins, who will also check on striker Marc McNulty who required dental work following Saturday’s 3-0 win, and full-back Chris Stokes who is nursing a sore hamstring.

“We have one or two who are carrying niggles and I don’t want to play them and Sky Blues boss Mark Robins (left) is unlikely to risk Jordan Willis tonight put them at risk. I will take some advice from the physio but I won’t make any decisions until Monday. There are players in the squad who need games, if it’s right, because I want to win games and progress in the cup if we possibly can do. There’s always that pay-off because you want to try to keep the continuity going and try to build momentum.”

Asked about Willis, he said: “I don’t know if he’ll be fit for Tuesday’s game.

“It depends on how he settles down but I think he will certainly be available for next weekend.”

As for Burge, he added: “He has full range of movement back in his shoulder and should be back in training this week.” If McNulty fails to make the match it could hand an opportunity to exciting new loan signing from Wolves, Duckens Nazon, and, in turn, open the door for teenage goalscoring sensation Jordan Ponticelli to be involved in the matchday squad after narrowly missing out at the weekend. Meanwhile, Mowbray says tonight’s League Cup clash is a ‘dangerous game’ for Blackburn.

“It will be a tough game – they had a fantastic result at the weekend,” said the 53-year-old, who will be joined by his City successor, Mark Venus, in the dugout after he re-joined Mowbray as assistant manager at Ewood Park in the summer.

“It is a dangerous game for us, as is any game away from home, and we will have to try and apply ourselves and enforce our gameplan on to them and see where it takes us.”

Reflecting on his time with City, Mowbray said: “The majority of it was good.”