Mark Robins is looking for his side to hit the ground running, as they return from the international break to face Huddersfield Town.
City head into the fixture at the John Smith’s Stadium, in what is the first of ten games left, minimum to play until the end of the season.
The Sky Blues find themselves in the mix for a place in the top six, as well as the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.
Looking ahead to the Good Friday clash against the Terriers, Robins spoke about the difficult challenge that is going to await his players.
The international break…
“There has been some international football played by some, some have had breathers and have been away, but trained in-between.
We’ve had a week’s training now heading into this game. The games come thick and fast, and we have ten in 36 days and it’s another brutal assault, but we start tomorrow, with a quick turnaround going into Monday.
We have to hit the ground running again and try and pick up points in every game like we did before.
We have had the distraction of the cup, and we don’t want that to impact on the league at all and that’s the challenge for us and the players, but we’re looking forward to it and getting back to league action against Huddersfield.”
Coming up against Huddersfield Town…
“It will be a really difficult game. They have changed managers recently and they have been in the last two weeks and have had chance to work on things to try and get some of the managers ideas and philosophy into the players, moving into the last eight games for them.
They’re fighting and scrapping and that’s what every team we face will be doing from now until the end of the season.
It’s a tough period for everyone and we have to go and embrace it and try and pick up as many points as we can and see if we can get into the top six.”
Player’s returning from international duty…
“Everyone is fine. We are looking okay. The international players came back yesterday having had some decent results.
We had USA coming up against Jamaica and Haji scored two goals and they went on and won the game and then they beat Mexico in the final to get the gold medal.
Jamaica then picked up the bronze medal, a record finish for Jamaica, I think it’s the first time that they’ve ever done that.
They’ve had different and good experiences, and it carries on the feel-good factor for them and it comes back into the camp and everyone is ready to kick on.
Jay Dasilva was away with Wales, and they unfortunately didn’t qualify for the Euro’s, but he was part of that and did a lot of training and he comes back in today.”
The final run in…
“We have ten games left to play minimum, hopefully it’s more, but we have to wait and see.
There are teams fighting for their lives and every team we play has something to play for and that’s the beauty of the Championship.
There are no easy games for different reasons, and they are huge challenges, and we have to look forward to them.”
Jamie Allen fitness update…
“Jamie has been back on the grass and off it again. He is okay but it’s going to take him a little bit of time.
He’s going to take some time. He works really hard, and his fitness levels are really good, but we have to make sure he doesn’t pick up anything else along the way.
He will be chomping at the bit to get back and be involved and the ten games left we have minimum; he will be desperate to be part of it.”
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto update…
“He is more or less pain free now, which is the main thing. He can move about a little bit better.
He will be in at some point, but he will have another assessment to see where he is and how the healing is next week, and we will know more from that point.”
