Coventry City ace surely in line for Sheffield United start, Frank Lampard has called him ‘priceless’

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Frank Lampard’s Coventry City travel to Bramall Lane this evening in an exciting clash against Sheffield United for the first game back after the international break.

There are a number of teams in the play-off race during the end of season run-in, and Coventry City will be desperate to beat Sheffield United, especially with pundits backing West Brom and Bristol City over Coventry in the race for sixth.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	38	23	11	4	76	25	51	80
2	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	38	25	7	6	53	28	25	80
3	BurnleyBurnley	38	21	15	2	52	11	41	78
4	SunderlandSunderland	38	19	12	7	55	37	18	69
5	CoventryCoventry	38	17	8	13	55	48	7	59
6	West BromWest Brom	38	13	18	7	48	34	14	57
7	Bristol CityBristol City	38	14	15	9	49	41	8	57
8	MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough	38	15	9	14	57	48	9	54

However, it is also a vital game for Sheffield United, with Chris Wilder’s side looking to take a huge step forward in the Championship title race. And Lampard has spoken previously about Wilder and the games in years gone by between them, outlining why this could be another classic.

Similarly, Wilder has enjoyed ‘tremendous’ previous fixtures against the legendary Chelsea figure. He will hope Gus Hamer or Callum O’Hare could be the difference against their former side on Friday, although our combined Sheffield United and Coventry City XI highlights how tight things could be.

• READ MORE: ‘All will be forgiven’ – Coventry City urged to do Leeds United massive favour after Frank Lampard’s 2019 incident

Jake Bidwell should come back into the Coventry City team for Jay Dasilva against Sheffield United

Frank Lampard is the man behind an outstanding run of form since being appointed in November, and he explained how he has changed as a manager recently, while Coventry are in fantastic form and breaking records under Lampard as well.

His side are on course to win the race for the play-offs during the run-in, and a win could reel the Blades back in when we also know Sheffield United are desperate to avoid the play-offs, largely because they have never gained promotion via that route in their history.

We ranked the 20 best players in the Championship recently, and many of them will be on show here. However, sometimes you need an experienced and calm head among your ranks for such a big occasion — which is certainly true of Coventry in the upcoming fixtures.

Jack Rudoni is closing in on a return but Jake Bidwell is the player with the know-how and defensive nous to handle tricky customers like Hamer, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi or Ben Brereton-Diaz.

Jay Dasilva featured well in the 3-0 win over Sunderland prior to the international break and is the more capable attacker of the pair, but Bidwell is the safer and more reliable pair of hands. His consistency and dependability has been seen for a number of years now at second tier level as well.

Not many players in the Championship can match his 420 appearances for the likes of Swansea City, QPR, and now Cov. He may not be the flashiest player in the side but his crossing is also a useful weapon, too.

However, Lampard needs his experience and he has explained previously how vital Bidwell’s presence is to this young and exciting Coventry side. He could be the glue the side needs in a big game at Bramall Lane where the pressure will be immense.

• READ MORE: EFL Championship’s all-time top scorers as journeyman sneaks into top ten and Sheffield United legend tops the charts

Frank Lampard explains Jake Bidwell’s importance to Coventry

Speaking via the Coventry Telegraph back in January, Lampard explained the 32-year-old’s importance. He wasted no time in offering the experienced and influential head in the dressing room a new deal to keep him at the club until 2027.

Those intangibles and the standards he sets for his teammates are crucial. Lampard was asked what he likes most about Bidwell and the reasoning behind offering the player a new deal. He said: “On and off the pitch, he trains brilliantly and is a great lad.”

With two of the in-form teams this calendar year on display, Lampard will know the importance of characters like Bidwell. He added: “He’s a leader in the dressing room and gives everything every day. He sets a good example and plays consistently well as a left-back and left wing-back.

“Those things are priceless for me, in my opinion, so I think it’s well deserved. We’re all very happy, he’s very happy. He loves the club and he’s happy here so it’s good news for us.”