Robins looks for options to help City make case for defence
COVENTRY City’s defensive options are hoped to be boosted ahead of tomorrow’s big game at Rotherham United.
The Sky Blues suffered another injury blow at the weekend when Josh Pask was stretchered off with a head/neck injury at the Vitality Stadium where Mark Robins’ men lost 4-1 to the south coast promotion chasers.
Fellow centre-half Kyle Mcfadzean also received treatment on the pitch for a knee injury in the second half, although was able to carry on playing.
Both Dom Hyam and Michael Rose sat out the game, as they did Easter Monday’s victory over Bristol City, due to illness and injury, leaving City extremely short on central defensive cover.
Here’s the latest injury news from the Sky Blues camp:
■ Dom Hyam
The centre-half has been virtually ever present this season but came down with illness over the Easter weekend, forcing him to miss Monday’s 3-1 win over Bristol City and the defeat at Bournemouth.
But he trained again for the first time on Saturday and was expected to join back in with the group this week to prepare for Rotherham.
Asked about the nature of his illness, Robins said: “He’s just ill. It’s an illness that’s prevented him from mixing in with the group. It’s not Covid or Covid related, just a bug.
“He’s been out for a week so he will have lost energy and weight and will need to regain all of that.
“But hopefully he’ll be okay to train from Monday and then we’ll just build him up.”
■ Josh Pask
The centre-half filled in for the ill Dom Hyam against Bristol City and Bournemouth but suffered a worrying-look- i n g injury at the weekend. Suffering a blow to his head and neck, Pask was treated on the pitch for around ten minutes before being stretchered off to hospital where he stayed overnight before being discharged and travelling back to the Midlands on Sunday.
The club have confirmed he suffered concussion and, as a result, is expected to miss tomorrow’s match due to the protocols around that type of head injury.
■ Kyle Mcfadzean
The no-nonsense defender required treatment on the pitch after a clash of knees at the the weekend but Robins says the player has shrugged it off.
“It was knee on knee, bone on bone and that doesn’t bother Fadz. He just shakes his head and that’s it.”
■ Michael Rose
The right-sided centre-half limped off holding his groin after 66 minutes at Loftus Road on Good Friday, having suffered a nasty gash to a delicate area of his anatomy which required stitches. Still too sore to feature against Bournemouth over a week later, Robins admits he’s still not sure of his availability.
Asked if he’s hopeful the centreback will be fit to return this week, he said: “With Rosey probably not, but I have to wait and see.”
■ Fankaty Dabo
It was initially feared that Dabo would be out for at least a month, with the manager admitting at the time that he would b e missing until “near as damn it the end of the season.”
However, he is making good progress, and Robins revealing at the weekend: “He will be starting to do things outside from Monday.”
But asked if Thursday and Sunday are too soon, he said: “Yes, not a chance.”
■ Max Biamou
The popular
French striker had an injection in his troubled knee going into the international break, hoping the intervention would help the injury which he has continued to play through for a number of months.
However, it aggravated the issue and a second injection was given, from which Biamou has now recovered and was included in the matchday squad at AFC Bournemouth at the weekend, where he was an unused sub.
He’s been out for a week so he will have lost energy and weight. But hopefully we’ll just build him up.
Mark Robins
■ Ben Sheaf
The holding midfielder faces time out after suffering a hip injury.
Robins revealed: “He has suffered a tear in his hip flexor and will be out for a period.”
■ Jodi Jones
Jones was back on the grass at Ryton last month after recovering from his third ACL injury in three years, and Robins revealed h e hopes the player could be available before the end of the season.
Asked if he’s anywhere near a game in the Under-23s, Robins said: “Not yet, no. He still has a way to go.
“He’s at St George’s Park this week so that will be the next milestone when he comes back from there and we get the report, so we can sort of take it from there.
“But he’s actually doing really well,” Robins added.