Coventry City will kick off their preparations for the 2022-23 campaign with a friendly against National League North outfit Leamington FC on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors will again play in the Championship next season, having finished 12th in the second tier in 2021-22, while Leamington are preparing for another campaign in the National League North.
Match preview
Leamington won 12, drew 12 and lost 18 of their National League North matches last season to claim 48 points, which saw them end the campaign down in 15th spot in the table.
As a result, the Brakes are preparing for another season in the sixth tier of English football, and a busy pre-season will see them play six matches, starting with the clash against Coventry.
Leamington will be back in action on July 9 against Boldmere St. Michaels before taking on Walsall on July 12.
The National League North outfit will then host Premier League opposition in the shape of Aston Villa on July 16 before rounding off their preparations for the new season with games against Halesowen Town and Stratford Town.
Paul Holleran's side will certainly be the underdogs heading into Saturday's affair, but the match will provide an excellent opportunity for the players to test themselves against a Championship side, and there are likely to be as number of new faces on display for the home team.
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Coventry, meanwhile, will head out to Spain after their opening friendly with Leamington, with the club set to take on Nottingham Forest in a pre-season clash on July 8.
The Sky Blues also have confirmed friendlies in the diary against Oxford United, Walsall and Portsmouth before opening their 2022-23 Championship campaign away to Sunderland on July 31.
The new season is now just one month away, but it has been a quiet window for the club thus far in terms of additions, with Kasey Palmer, who has arrived from Bristol City, their only acquisition thus far.
Coventry finished 12th in the Championship last season, picking up 64 points from their 46 matches, which left them 11 points behind sixth-place Luton Town.
Head coach Mark Robins has a huge task on his hands to make his team playoff contenders in the coming season, and the club's lack of activity in the transfer market is a concern, but there is still plenty of time for new additions to arrive before the window slams shut.
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Team News
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Theo Streete recently became Leamington's third signing of the summer, with the defender following Ben Usher-Shipway and Alex Prosser to the National League North Side.
Adam Walker, Kieran Cook, Joe Clarke and Connor Taylor are among those to commit to the club for the coming season, meanwhile, so there should be a relatively familiar look to their side this weekend.
Callum Gittings and Joe Parker are among those to depart, and there is also a chance that there could be some trialists on display for the home side this weekend.
As for Coventry, Palmer is their only signing thus far, and the attacker is expected to be involved in the contest with the National League North outfit.
The Sky Blues have had a strong squad back in pre-season training, and the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Callum O'Hare should feature for the visitors.
Simon Moore and Ben Wilson are both expected to receive plenty of minutes between the sticks during pre-season, meanwhile, as the pair battle for the goalkeeping gloves.
Leamington FC possible starting lineup:
Weaver; English, Lane, Mace, Streete; Clarke, Edwards, Kelly-Evans, Walker; Mooney, Turner
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Wilson; Rose, McFadzean, Kane, Reid; Allen, Eccles, Palmer; Walker, Gyokeres, Waghorn
We say: Leamington FC 1-3 Coventry City
It is difficult to know exactly what to expect from friendlies at this stage of pre-season, but Coventry will be expected to triumph on Saturday afternoon. The result is not too important for either side, but the visitors will have the superior quality and should prove to be too strong for their sixth-tier opponents.
Matt Law
