Preview: Coventry City vs. Preston North End - prediction, team news, lineups

Having played just three games in England's second tier thus far, the Sky Blues have seen their pitch deemed playable, and they welcome a Preston side who are yet to concede a goal in six Championship matches.

Match preview

After a 12th-placed finish in the Championship last time around, Coventry City headed into a third second-tier season under Mark Robins hoping for further improvement, but they have been unable to make a fast start with all home games postponed due to pitch issues thus far.

As a result, their only three league fixtures have been played away, and they began with a 1-1 draw at Sunderland as Viktor Gyokeres hit an 84th-minute equaliser.

After a 4-1 EFL Cup thrashing at the hands of Bristol City, Robins's side returned to league action with a trip to Millwall and were eventually beaten 3-2, despite taking a two-goal lead through Kyle McFadzean and Matt Godden, as Jake Cooper and George Honeyman levelled the contest before George Saville snatched all three points for the hosts with an 85th-minute winner.

Their trip to Hull City at the weekend finished with the same scoreline, as a brace from Godden was not enough to force a result with Oscar Estupinan netting a hat-trick for the Tigers, and, with just one point to their name from three games, the Sky Blues are already fighting from behind, albeit with three games in hand on the majority of sides in the second tier.

Coventry will now hope that the return to a full schedule acts as a new start and will go in search of a first win of the season on Wednesday.

They face a particularly tough test, though, as no side have managed to beat or even score against Preston North End in the Championship so far this season.

Heading into the new season with optimism under the management of Ryan Lowe, the Lilywhites have certainly shown their defensive steel with six consecutive league clean sheets but have struggled at the other end, netting just a single goal thus far.

That lone second-tier goal came courtesy of Brad Potts in a win away at Luton Town, after back-to-back stalemates against Wigan Athletic and Hull City and a 4-1 thrashing of Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup, only for two further 0-0 draws to follow against Watford and Rotherham United.

Following a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the second round of the EFL Cup, in which Ben Woodburn's second-half goal was inadequate as they fell to a 2-1 defeat, the Lancashire outfit returned to league action away at Cardiff City on Saturday and played out a fifth goalless stalemate of the season to move onto eight points from six games.

While Lowe will certainly be pleased by his side's performances in defence, the lack of goals may be becoming a growing concern, and they will be desperate to find their shooting boots and score a second Championship win of the campaign in their trip to Coventry.

Coventry City Championship form:

Coventry City form (all competitions):

Preston North End Championship form:

Preston North End form (all competitions):

Team News

Coventry City will remain without key midfielder Gustavo Hamer, who serves the second game of a suspension on Wednesday, with Jamie Allen and Ben Sheaf again set to operate in the engine room in his absence.

Centre-back Dominic Hyam, who made over 190 appearances for the Sky Blues, departed for Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, and while he did not feature in their contest against Hull, the exit does pose a challenge for Robins, with Jonathan Panzo and Michael Rose again set to join Kyle McFadzean in a new-look back three.

Matt Godden will come into the game with confidence, having netted three goals in the opening three Championship games, while strike partner Viktor Gyokeres is another danger man, with the Swedish international having scored 17 in England's second tier last term.

After five consecutive league clean sheets, Ryan Lowe was forced into a change in defence last time out, as the injured Andrew Hughes was replaced by Greg Cunningham, and the 31-year-old should again join Liam Lindsay and Jordan Storey in a back three on Wednesday.

Ben Whiteman and Ryan Ledson remain key men in midfield, while Daniel Johnson and Alan Browne could continue to offer support to the front line.

Troy Parrott operated as a lone striker against Cardiff, but Emil Riis Jakobsen, who hit 16 Championship goals last season, could be brought back in from the outset for the trip to Coventry.

Coventry City possible starting lineup:

Moore; Panzo, McFadzean, Rose; Dabo, Allen, Sheaf, Bidwell; Palmer; Gyokeres, Godden

Preston North End possible starting lineup:

Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Cunningham; Potts, Ledson, Whiteman, Brady; Browne, Johnson; Riis

We say: Coventry City 0-1 Preston North End

Even with a dangerous strike force, it is difficult to predict Coventry breaking down a Preston defence which has been impenetrable thus far, so Wednesday's game may more be a matter of whether the Lilywhites can end their dismal attacking form.

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