Lee set to defy freak injury as City take on leaders
COVENTRY City’s goalkeeper Lee Burge has answered any doubts that a freak injury might have put over his availability for tonight’s big game against the league leaders.
The Sky Blues stopper suffered a nasty gash above his eye when he was hit by a flying puck while watching Coventry Blaze take on Sheffield Steelers at the SkyDome on Sunday evening.
Burge had to go to hospital where the cut was glued, the injury sparking fears that the first choice keeper would have to sit out tonight’s Ricoh Arena clash with table-topping Portsmouth.
The 25-year-old, however, reported back to Ryton for training yesterday morning where he was bandaged up before being put through his paces by goalkeeper coach Steve Ogrizovic, the legendary stopper no stranger to injuries himself during his fine career minding the City goal.
And Burge appears to be following in Oggy’s footsteps of not letting a facial injury get in the way of his training and playing.
City’s No.1 was in fine form at the weekend, playing a key role to help Mark Robins’ men secure a 1-1 draw with third from top Sunderland at the Ricoh Arena. The Black Cats took the lead through Lee Cattermole early in the second half but Jonson ClarkeHarris pulled Coventry level shortly after, setting up a frantic end to the game when Burge came into his own, pulling off a number of crucial saves to deny the visitors the full three points. Assuming Burge comes through training with no problem after yesterday’s training session, he’s expected to resume his place in the starting line-up against Pompey. Understudy Liam O’Brien is on standby to face his former club but all the signs are that Burge will declare himself fit for the 7.45pm kick-off. City could field a completely fresh strike force tonight. Sky Blues boss Mark Robins will be without Conor Chaplin who is not allowed to play against Pompey until his loan from Fratton Park becomes a permanent deal in January. And the manager has hinted that Jonson Clarke-Harris could be rested after putting in such a hard shift against Sunderland on Saturday when he scored to give City a share of the spoils against the Black Cats. That could open the door for Amadou Bakayoko and Jordy Hiwula to make rare starts and appearances for the club, having dropped down the pecking order since the arrival of Chaplin late in the August loan window.
Bakayoko – a £300,000 summer signing from Walsall – has started just two League One games for City and come off the bench five times in the division, while Hiwula – another sixfigure capture from Huddersfield – has made three starts and one sub appearance in the league so far.
As for Clarke-Harris, Robins explained: “Jonson worked his socks off and he’s one that you look at and think for Tuesday night, can he recover quickly enough?
“Portsmouth are another good team and I will be looking for the freshest team and the team that can go and beat them.”
The other big question mark ahead of the game against Kenny Jackett’s men, who travel to the West Midlands without a single defeat to their name so far this season, is whether Robins will play the same back four.
Left-back Junior Brown is ruled out with concussion after being forced off early in the first half against Sunderland following a clash of heads.
That forced a re-shuffle with rightback Dujon Sterling switching across to cover out of position on the left, leaving Jordan Willis to move across to right-back and Tom Davies to come on at centre-half.
Robins is still waiting on Brandon Mason to return from a hip flexor/ thigh strain – a problem that’s clearly a source of much frustration for the manager, particularly now that Brown is also out injured.
Asked for the latest news on the leftback’s injury, Robins said: “Who knows! He’s come back, dropped out again, re-injured it so I don’t know.”
If Davies and Dom Hyam continue as the central defensive partnership they will be two of possibly three former Portsmouth players in the side if skipper Michael Doyle plays.
At 37, Doyle could be rested against the club he captained to the League Two title in 2017, and either Liam Kelly or Abu Ogogo drafted back in to the starting line-up. The Irishman, however, has played all ten of City’s league games to date and it is unlikely he will want to miss such a big game against his former employers.
Portsmouth are another good team and I will be looking for the freshest team and the team that can go and beat them.