Who's in and who's out... players likely to face 'Boro

LAMPARD FACES TRICKY SELECTION TO CALM FANS' NERVES

- By ANDY TURNER Sky Blues Reporter

COVENTRY City face a huge game on Monday night when they go head-to-head with new Championship leaders Middlesbrough at the CBS Arena.

But what team will Frank Lampard pick as he comes up with a game plan between now and then, desperately searching for a much-needed pick-me-up victory that will go a long way to settling a serious case of the jitters amongst the fans?

The Sky Blues boss has already given himself a selection headache at the back by dropping first choice central defensive pairing Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching against Oxford, replaced by Luke Woolfenden and Joel Latibeaudiere.

The problem is that while Woolfy and Lati have done well in the past, most notably in City’s ten-man point at Southampton, they weren't really tested to any great degree at the weekend against a U’s side that barely laid a glove on them from an attacking perspective.

Lampard was at pains to say that his decision to change what he sees as the best central defensive partnership in the division does “not mean anything going forward”, but, having made the switch, he’s surely not going to change again in the following match. That would not send a good message to the two lads who have been given their chance after a dip in form from Bobby and Kitch.