The 7 players set to miss Coventry City v Leicester City ft Bobby Thomas | OneFootball

The team news for this Saturday's derby clash between Coventry and Leicester

One of the fiercest rivalries in the Championship is renewed this Saturday, as Leicester City make the short 24.5-mile trip to the CBS Arena to take on league leaders Coventry City.

Nothing could separate the two sides when they met at the King Power Stadium in September, with Leicester holding Coventry to a rare blank in front of goal in the midst of their terrifying goalscoring form during the opening half of the campaign.

That goalless draw sparked a run of 11 wins in 12 for Frank Lampard's side, which gave them a 12-point gap atop the Championship - a gap which has been reduced slightly after a sticky patch of form over the Christmas period.

As for Leicester, it's been a campaign of ups and downs, sitting mid-table with 37 points, but knowing that a run of positive results could see them shoot up into the top six.

There's no better way for the Foxes to kickstart that run, or for Coventry to re-establish their dominance in the second half of the season, than with a derby win against each other.

But here are the seven people who won't be available to contribute to that happening.

Bobby Thomas

Starting with the hosts, Bobby Thomas will be serving the second of his three-match suspension after seeing red in the 3-2 defeat against Birmingham City.

The commanding centre-back won't be available for selection until the trip to Norwich City on January 26.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden

Kaine Kesler-Hayden has had a tough time since he arrived at Coventry this past summer, playing second fiddle to Milan van Ewijk for the majority of the campaign.

And in only his fourth start of the Championship season on New Year's Day against Charlton Athletic, he was forced off just past the hour mark after rolling his ankle and has been absent for the two games since.

Following Coventry's FA Cup exit at the hands of Stoke City last weekend, manager Frank Lampard admitted that it would still be a couple of weeks until Kesler-Hayden returns.

Oliver Dovin

Coventry's number one and two-time Swedish international hasn't been seen since March last year after rupturing his ACL.

However, Frank Lampard is hopeful that the 23-year-old shot-stopper may be available to make a return sometime this month, saying, "January was always thrown out from the beginning. I don't check on that every day [though] because I don't think a player needs me going 'what's happening?'

"As it stands, it's January. We hope it could be quicker, maybe it could be later, but we have to do everything right."

Dovin was Lampard's first choice during the Sky Blues' impressive run to the play-offs towards the latter half of last season, but with Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Carl Rushworth impressing week by week this term, it may be difficult for the 23-year-old to reclaim his spot.

Victor Kristiansen

Several players from both sides could be set to make a return, but from the Leicester camp, left-back Victor Kristiansen won't be one of them.

The 23-year-old has been missing since he was withdrawn 64 minutes into his first start of the campaign against Blackburn Rovers on November 1, and announced later that month that he'd undergone knee surgery.

Kristiansen will be out "for a prolonged period," and therefore will not be featuring on Saturday.

Harry Souttar

Harry Souttar hasn't featured in a game since December 2024, when he tore his Achilles while on loan at Sheffield United last season.

It seemed that the Australian was close to finally making his long-awaited return to the Leicester squad for the first time since December 2023, but he has since suffered a setback in the form of another minor surgery, this time on a fresh issue.

Souttar is once again in the recovery process and won't be available for the trip to Coventry.

Aaron Ramsey

Aston Villa loanee Aaron Ramsey has had a torrid time staying available for Leicester this season, made more frustrating by the promise he's shown when he has been fit.

A hamstring injury took him out for nine games in November and December, and three games following his return, a recurrence of that injury has sidelined him once more.

In news which will delight Leicester fans, though, all three of the currently sidelined trio are set to return in weeks, rather than months, according to an update from manager Marti Cifuentes ahead of the Coventry trip.

Harry Winks

One person who likely has played their last game for the club is Harry Winks, who hasn't made a squad appearance since the start of December.

Wout Faes, another one of Leicester's high earners who had fallen out of contention at the King Power Stadium, has departed the club on loan to Monaco, and there's an expectation that the same will be said about Winks come the end of the winter window.