Coventry vs Rotherham: Championship Preview, Gameweek 2, 2022

The Sky Blues will be looking to make it four wins on the bounce when they welcome Rotherham to the CBS on Tuesday night.

Coventry vs Rotherham: Championship Preview, Gameweek 2, 2022
Photo courtesy of Alex Pantling/Getty Images
liamm2002
By Liam Murphy

In-form Coventry could lift themselves out of the bottom three when they face Rotherham at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Tuesday night.

Ex-Millers player Mark Robins will be hoping his Sky Blues' side can make it four wins from four Championship matches, after wins over Cardiff, Sheffield United and Stoke.

Matt Taylor has faced an indifferent start to life at the New York Stadium, winning twice, drawing once and losing twice since taking charge - most recently falling to a 4-2 home defeat to Hull on Saturday.

Former Exeter boss Taylor admitted to The Star that his side were "second best" in their defeat.

It was a really tough day. We were second best from start to finish,” Taylor said.

We couldn't cover areas of the pitch well enough. When we were close to the ball, we never came out with it in our favour or in our direction.

“That's a fair enough reflection of the game."

The Millers will no doubt be looking to make amends this weekend but it will be no easy feat, having won just once against the Sky Blues in their last five meetings.

Team news

Coventry

Robins confirmed post-match in Stoke that Liam Kelly and Matty Godden are set for extended spells sidelined.

Kelly has picked up a fresh knee problem whilst on his return to fitness from a hamstring injury.

And Robins revealed that Godden has sustained an ankle injury, which forced him off in the win over Sheffield United.

Tyler Walker is also a doubt, as he continues his recovery from a knee ligament tear.

Rotherham

Millers manager Taylor told Rotherham's official club site that both Ollie Rathbone and Ben Wiles are touch-and-go for the trip to the Midlands, having both picked up "niggles."

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He went on to confirm that, despite both being back in training, Peter Kioso and Tolaji Bola will not feature in midweek as they continue their respective recoveries.

Predicted lineups

Coventry

Wilson (GK), Panzo, McFadzean, Rose, Dabo, Eccles, Allen, Hamer, Bidwell, Palmer, Gyokeres

Rotherham

Johansson (GK), Harding, Wood, Peltier, Norton-Cuffy, High, Barlaser, Rathbone, Ferguson, Eaves, Kelly

Key Players

Gustavo Hamer

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An inspired second-half display in the win at Stoke had one man at the heart of it - Gustavo Hamer.

First assisting Jamie Allen's opener with a clever pass to split open the Potters' defence, before getting on the scoresheet himself after driving into the penalty area and curling the ball into the bottom corner.

The Brazilian deservedly made the EFL's Team of the Week, scoring an 8.6 match rating on WhoScored after his exploits in Staffordshire.

Daniel Barlaser

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The midfield battle will be key here, and Daniel Barlaser will be at the heart of the Millers' efforts to win it.

Scoring twice and notching five assists, the former Newcastle man has an average rating of 7.01 on WhoScored so far this campaign.

However, Barlaser is yet to score in a Rotherham victory so far this season.

So you can imagine that the Turkey and England youth international will be hoping it is third time lucky and score again to lead the Millers to victory on Tuesday night.

Match Details

Where is the match being played?

The match is taking place at the Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry.

What time is kick-off?

Kick-off is at 19:45 (BST) on Tuesday October 25.

How can I watch?

The match is available for fans in the UK and abroad to watch on iFollow.