Preview: Coventry City vs. Rotherham United - prediction, team news, lineups

Although the Sky Blues remain in the relegation zone with matches in hand, they will start their upcoming fixture as favourites to overcome an inconsistent Rotherham side who currently feature in the mid-table positions in the standings.

Match preview

Such was Coventry's issues with their pitch at the start of the season that not even a three-game winning streak has been enough to move the club outside of the drop zone.

Nevertheless, after weeks of sitting at the bottom of the table, Mark Robins will be ecstatic with his side's current placing, a consequence of three wins in fixtures where they would have been regarded as underdogs.

On the back of victories at Cardiff City and Sheffield United, Coventry ran out 2-0 winners at Stoke City at the weekend with Jamie Allen and Gustavo Hamer getting on the scoresheet after the break.

As well as the rare occasion of winning a match without their strikers getting on the scoresheet, Coventry also posted a third successive clean sheet and made it six shutouts in seven attempts.

While Robins will not rest easy until Coventry are clear of the bottom three, they are also now just nine points adrift of the playoffs with three matches in hand on many of the teams above them.

From Rotherham's perspective, Matt Taylor has collected a total of seven points from his five matches since arriving as the replacement for long-serving Paul Warne.

Before the start of his stint, the former Exeter City boss would have taken that return, but the Millers failed to build on a two-game winning streak at home to struggling Hull City at the weekend.

Despite the seemingly different trajectories of the two clubs, Hull netted three times either side of half time on their way to claiming a shock 4-2 triumph at the New York Stadium.

Rotherham still sit closer to the playoffs than they do to the relegation zone, but Taylor will be eager for an immediate bounce-back result in a bid to consolidate the club's position in mid-table.

Coventry City Championship form:

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Rotherham United Championship form:

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Team News

Despite the win at the bet365 Stadium, Coventry boss Robins has a selection dilemma with Ben Sheaf back from suspension and being torn whether to change a more defensive-minded starting lineup.

With Matt Godden out in the long term, Kasey Palmer and Martyn Waghorn are competing for one position alongside Viktor Gyokeres.

Unless Robins wants to introduce fresh legs into the centre of midfield, Sheaf may have to make do with a spot among the replacements.

Taylor will inevitably make changes to his Rotherham XI, with Grant Hall likely to return to the back three to allow Wes Harding to move to right wing-back.

Georgie Kelly will expect to return to the attack after his goal as a substitute against Hull, with Conor Washington likely to drop to the substitutes' bench.

Coventry City possible starting lineup:

Wilson; Rose, McFadzean, Panzo; Dabo, Allen, Eccles, Hamer, Bidwell; Waghorn, Gyokeres

Rotherham United possible starting lineup:

Johansson; Hall, Wood, Peltier; Harding, Wiles, Barlaser, Rathbone, Ferguson; Eaves, Kelly

We say: Coventry City 2-0 Rotherham United

Rotherham supporters do not know what to expect from their team right now, and neither will Coventry. Nevertheless, we still feel that the Sky Blues are playing with enough confidence to run out comfortable victors in front of their own fans.

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