Coventry City manager Frank Lampard has received an encouraging fitness update ahead of his side’s upcoming clash, with the squad returning from international duty without major new injury concerns.
Lampard confirmed that his players had returned fit from their international assignments, which is expected to include Joel Latibeaudiere, who reportedly picked up a knock while representing Jamaica.
However, Coventry remain uncertain over the availability of Milan van Ewijk, who was struggling with a thigh injury before the international break.
“We hope he’ll be right if he comes through the next few days,” Lampard said.
The Coventry boss will also be without his other pre-existing injury absentees, while Taiwo Awoniyi is unavailable through suspension.
Having secured their first Premier League victory in their previous outing, Lampard could retain much of the same starting line-up as he looks to build on that result.
Caleb Yirenkyi is pushing for a place in central midfield, while Loum Tchaouna could also challenge for the attacking midfield role.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle is hopeful of welcoming back several important players, although he stopped short of guaranteeing their availability.
Joelinton, Nico Gonzalez and Dan Burn are expected to be in contention, while Lewis Miley is also tipped to recover from the minor injury he sustained while on international duty with England Under-21s.
Gonzalez could be particularly important to Newcastle’s plans, with the midfielder expected to return to the starting line-up after completing concussion protocol.
There is less clarity surrounding the fitness of Amar Dedic, Tino Livramento, William Osula, Anthony Elanga and Jacob Ramsey, all of whom missed Newcastle’s previous match.
Jaissle offered limited details on their progress, saying he hoped to have “three or four back from the nine” players who were unavailable for the club’s last outing.
Should neither Dedic nor Livramento recover in time, Miley could again be deployed at right-back, providing Newcastle with an alternative option as they prepare for the encounter.
Both managers will be monitoring their players’ fitness closely, with Coventry looking to maintain their winning momentum and Newcastle hoping to strengthen their squad with the return of several key figures.
