blueball.gif (262 bytes) Tues 31st July 2001 - Early Coventry preview
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Gordon Strachan brings his Coventry City team to Ninian Park tomorrow for mouth watering pre season friendly.

For Cardiff City it is a chance to show they can compete with a team who were in the Premiership only 12 weeks ago. Coventry are aiming to bounce straight back into the highest league and will be looking to improve on a goalless draw against Brentford last Saturday.

Coventry are in the news at the moment with the on / off sale of John Hartson to Celtic. Martin O'Neill is reported to have offered £5m for the Welsh striker but Coventry City will only accept £7m. Because of this wrangling is possible that Hartson will not play.

Coventry have already lost Welsh striker Craig Bellamy. He is now at Newcastle Utd having signed with the Toon for £6m. John Aloisi has left for Osasuna in Spain for £1.5m. Moustapha Hadji went to Aston Villa in the summer as well. Earlier in the season Coventry lost Cedric Roussel and Colin Hendry.

On the arrivals side Julian Joachim has come from Aston Villa but he is recoving from a knee injury and will not play tomorrow. Coventry's latest signing is Phil Masinga, the 32 year old South African, former leeds Utd striker signs from Bari (Italy not Island). Masinga is hoping for his work permit to come through to allow him to play tomorrow.

Other names you may know that could play are keeper Magnus Hedman, Yousef Chippo, Richard Shaw, Marcus Hall, Paul Williams and managers son Gavin Strachan.

City will be without Mark Bonner who was hurt during the reserve game at Weston Super mare last night. Several players are working off minor niggles and its hoped the starting XI on Saturday that comprehensively beat Crystal Palace will start against the SkyBlues.

Michael Simpkins is hoping to be fit and could return to the team, if he does then Gabbidon is likely to move inside and Scott Young could will miss out.

The subs bench will include Willie Boland, Layton Maxwell, Jason Bowen, Leon Jeanne, Martin Giles, Leo FW, Paul Brayson.

Kick off at Ninian Park is at 7:45pm with admission £6 / £4. Season ticket holders can use their voucher for £1 off.

At 7:30pm the players who helped City to promotion last season will be presented with the Div 3 runners up medals.

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Copyright Michael Morris 2001.