Huddersfield Town will be searching for much-needed points in their fight to remain in the Championship when they host playoff-chasing Coventry City at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Terriers have endured a mixed start under new management and remain in the bottom three, whereas the Sky Blues are enjoying an unbeaten run, which is seeing them close the gap on the top six.

Match preview

The size of the task facing 74-year-old Neil Warnock in trying to keep Huddersfield in the second tier this season cannot be understated, but the Yorkshire club have shown signs over recovery over the past fortnight.

Goals from Joseph Hungbo and Jaheim Headley secured victory over Birmingham City in Warnock's first game in charge, before a daunting trip to Turf Moor last weekend ended in a 4-0 defeat for the visitors.

A rampant Burnley side were clearly a cut above their opponents last Saturday, although Huddersfield will be aware that it is not matches against the runaway league leaders that will decide their fate this campaign.

The Terriers have a respectable record at the John Smith's Stadium despite sitting inside the relegation zone heading into this weekend, with 21 of their 31 second-tier points coming on home soil so far this season.

Warnock has utilised both a back three and four in his first two matches in charge of the club, and it is that type of tactical adaptability from the new manager that Town will be relying on to maintain their Championship status for another year.

Coventry extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to five matches on Tuesday night with a goalless draw at Preston North End, with that point collected allowing the Sky Blues to gain further ground on the top six.

Mark Robins's men had won their previous three games before that stalemate at Deepdale last time out, and it is no surprise that Swede Viktor Gyokeres netted in all three of those successes - the 24-year-old can only be bested by Middlesbrough's Chuba Akpom in terms of second-tier goals so far this season.

The West Midlands outfit are currently 10th in the Championship table having collected 49 points from 34 matches, sitting five points behind sixth-placed Luton Town heading into this weekend's round of fixtures.

Many fans and pundits questioned Coventry's ability to push for any meaningful success this campaign after a difficult period in January, but 11 points from their last five fixtures has restored belief at the Coventry Building Society Arena that the side could challenge for the playoffs in the remaining 12 games.

The Sky Blues need regular wins between now and May to secure a playoff berth, although their recent form at Huddersfield does not point towards maximum points on Saturday, with Coventry sharing the spoils with the Terriers on their last two visits.

Team News

Huddersfield goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic retained his place in the starting XI against Burnley last time out despite the return of first-choice stopper Tomas Vaclik from injury, and it remains to be seen whether Warnock keeps the Australian between the sticks on Saturday.

Anthony Knockaert was omitted from the squad that travelled to Turf Moor last weekend due to fitness concerns, but the winger should be back amongst the substitutes here and ready to provide a spark off the bench if needed.

Josh Ruffels should be another player who returns to the first-team fold after missing the Burnley battle due to illness, with the player offering another option at left-back alongside Headley.

Duane Holmes remains sidelined with a calf injury and has not featured since the end of January for the Terriers, meaning that Warnock is yet to assess the American's importance to the team.

Coventry boss Robins has bemoaned his side's lack of luck in terms of injuries in recent times after the news that attacking midfielder Kasey Palmer will be sidelined with a hamstring injury for the foreseeable future.

Jamie Allen was forced off at Deepdale on Tuesday night with a calf strain and is also out of contention for the trip to Yorkshire this weekend, further limiting the Sky Blues' options in attack-minded areas.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Bilokapic; Edmonds-Green, Lees, Helik, Headley; High, Camara, Hungbo, Rudoni, Koroma; Ward

Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Wilson; McNally, McFadzean, Doyle; Norton-Cuffy, Eccles, Hamer, Bidwell, Wilson-Esbrand; Gyokeres, Walker

We say: Huddersfield Town 1-1 Coventry City

Huddersfield face a real battle in staying in the Championship and have a very challenging set of fixtures to finish off their season, so a home encounter with an injury-riddled Coventry side is a good opportunity to earn maximum points.

The Sky Blues have improved over the past month, but injuries to key players could begin to slow their assault on the playoff positions, although they should be good enough for a point on their travels this weekend.


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