Keepers a concern for Sky Blues boss
O’BRIEN AND BURGE BOTH NURSING KNOCKS AS BAKER CONTINUES RECOVERY
MARK Robins hopes Coventry City will avoid a goalkeeper crisis when they take on Notts County today.
The Sky Blues could face the prospect of both of their senior stoppers being injured for the trip to Meadow Lane after an injured Lee Burge was replaced at half time in the defeat to Yeovil by Liam O’Brien, who is now also suffering from a repetitive niggle.
Both players being sidelined for today is very much a worst-case scenario, though, with Robins expecting to have one of the two available.
“Lee Burge has a had a situation all season that he has been managing and it flared up the other day and he had to come off at half-time,” said Robins.
“Liam is okay, but he is another goalkeeper with a similar sort of injury that flares up now and again and you’re talking about repetitive injures.
“That’s their condition at the moment, but we’re hoping to have at least one of the goalkeeper’s fit.”
Carl Baker is continuing his recovery as he works towards his delayed Sky Blues comeback.
The midfielder is still nursing a calf injury he picked up while playing for his previous side ATK in India, prior to returning to City.
“Carl’s situation is that he has came in and he needs to try and get himself fit,” said Robins. “He hasn’t played this season or certainly since he left India, so we’re waiting for him and he needs to get himself in a position where he feels he can train and at the moment that isn’t anywhere close.
“I think for Carl he has to see if he can do that and I imagine as time progresses he will wonder if he can get himself to the level, but when he first came in we knew the circumstances and the deal suited both parties.
“We’re trying to help him get right and we will give him every opportunity and he desperately wants to be fit to play some part before the end of the season.”
Robins added: “We have a few knocks and niggles and one or two more than that but for the most part we haven’t got a bad bill of health, but we are going to have a staff meeting and see who is available to train today.”