Sky Blues striker Julian Joachim will miss Wednesday night’s crucial clash with Manchester City at Highfield Road.

The 26-year-old suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury which forced him out of Coventry’s first four league games this season and could be missing for up to six weeks.

The former Villa man was brought down by Simon Tracey in the Sheffield United goal during Saturday’s 1-0 win at Bramall Lane and was still on the stretcher as the Sky Blues’ winning goal was tucked away by his replacement Laurent Delorge.

Jay Bothroyd, who has started five league games this season, looks the most obvious replacement for the match against Kevin Keegan’s men.

Many feel that the 19-year-old has been unlucky to find himself on the bench after he made a very promising start to the season and scored a wonder goal in the defeat at Bradford.

But player/manager Roland Nilsson could not resist throwing Lee Hughes and Joachim together for the cup-tie at Peterborough last week and stuck with his main strikers at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

Bothroyd will get another chance to make one of the striking berths his own against Manchester City, who are flying high after their 3-0 drubbing of Birmingham at the weekend.

Keegan’s men, with the addition of Ali Bernabia – the year 2000 French Player of the Year – to the squad, rose to sixth in the table at the weekend and striker Shaun Goater climbed to the top of the First Division hotshots list as he made it eight goals in just six games.

But Man City are still not firing on all cylinders away from home. They were stunned by West Bromwich Albion just over a week ago when the Baggies hit four past them at the Hawthorns.

The Sky Blues, however, have struggled at Highfield Road so far this season and are still yet to score a goal in front of their home fans this term.