The Sky Blues’ automatic promotion credentials in the new Championship season have been questioned

Coventry City’s automatic promotion credentials have been questioned – but Frank Lampard has been backed to have the Sky Blues battling towards the top end of the Championship in the new season.

Lampard guided Coventry into the play-offs last season, transforming their results when he took charge at the CBS Arena last November.

They bowed out of the play-offs in the semi-finals to eventual winners Sunderland, but Lampard’s side will be among the clubs tipped to challenge for promotion to the Premier League once again when the new campaign kicks off.

Assessing their promotion chances, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman told Football League World: “I do think Coventry will be towards the top end of the table next season.

“Whether or not they could make a top two challenge is hard to say really.

“I think there’s obviously a lot of business that needs to be done. Players will leave, players will come in, so at this stage it’s difficult to say.”

Coventry have made their first signing of the summer, agreeing a deal for defender Miguel Ángel Brau, subject to international clearance and a work visa.

“What I will say is they will be up against the likes of Sheffield United, I expect to be up there again, West Brom I expect to do better, Middlesbrough, Norwich, teams like that, plus those that were relegated – Southampton, Leicester obviously came back down along with Ipswich, who will be very, very strong,” added Goodman.

“And the clubs that came up will be strong, so I do think the Championship as a whole is going to be much stronger than last season, and that’s going to make it all the more difficult for Coventry to get a top two place – I’m not saying they can’t do it, I’m saying it’ll be difficult.”

The latest Coventry City news from CoventryLive as Haji Wright’s fitness concerns see him return to the Sky Blues

The latest Coventry City news from CoventryLive as Haji Wright’s fitness concerns see him return to the Sky Blues

Haji Wright has been ruled out of the rest of the Concacaf Gold Cup and sent back to Coventry City after picking up an injury on international duty.

The United States have confirmed the striker has suffered “an Achilles issue that will not be resolved in time for him to continue competing in the tournament”

Haji Wright has been ruled out of the rest of the Concacaf Gold Cup and sent back to Coventry City after picking up an injury on international duty.

The United States have confirmed the striker has suffered “an Achilles issue that will not be resolved in time for him to continue competing in the tournament”.

Frank Lampard’s players are due to return for pre-season training on July 1, in just eight days, although Wright would likely have been on a different schedule given his commitments with the USA.

The Sky Blues play their first pre-season friendly on July 23 and the Championship season resumes on the weekend of August 8-10, and while the severity of Wright’s problem is not yet known, it is an early headache for City boss Lampard.

He missed Thursday’s 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Austin, Texas, Sunday’s 2-1 victory against Haiti and is now confirmed as out of the quarter-final against Costa Rica on June 30.

Wright, who joined City for a club record fee from Antalyaspor in the summer of 2023, has scored 31 goals in 79 games, including 12 in 31 last term. However, he missed more than three months and 19 games of last season due to an ankle ligament injury.

When he returned though, he was arguably Lampard’s most potent attacking weapon with Ellis Simms underwhelming during the run-in and Brandon Thomas-Asante used mainly as a substitute.