Coventry City captain Liam Kelly told his club’s official website how Derby County have looked impressive of late and warns his side must be on top form to pick up a positive result.
Coventry host Derby at St Andrew’s in a key encounter near the bottom of the table.
The reverse fixture at Pride Park was Wayne Rooney’s second game in sole charge of the Rams. It finished 1-1 with the Sky Blues netting a last-gasp equaliser.
Since then, Derby have picked up nine wins and three draws from 18 games.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Kelly admits Derby have looked impressive of late.
“They are a very good team; I think earlier in the season when they struggled, they had a very young squad and since then a few experienced players have come back and they have looked impressive. We are confident in our own ability and it is going to be a good game this Saturday. We are under no illusions that we are going to have to be on top form and performing really well in order to get points from this match,” Kelly explained.
Derby’s run of form, which includes nine clean sheets and only 17 goals conceded in 20 games under Rooney, has seen the Rams leapfrog Coventry in the table.
The Sky Blues currently sit in 20th position, three points above the Championship relegation zone while Derby are a further three points clear in 18th having played a game less.
Rotherham United and Birmingham City have both picked up wins of late, leaving Coventry looking nervously over their shoulder after a run of just one win in nine.
But Coventry’s home record hasn’t been too bad, losing only three of their last 13. In that time, the Sky Blues have beaten Reading, Cardiff City and Brentford at St Andrew’s.
The Rams controversially rested several key players in the midweek 4-0 defeat at Cardiff, with Rooney seemingly gambling on having a fresher side to face the Sky Blues.
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