Coventry winger Gervane Kastaneer will miss the club's Sky Bet League One opener against Southend.

The 23-year-old summer signing from NAC Breda rolled his ankle during the pre-season friendly with Liverpool Under-23s last week. The injury is not as bad as the club initially feared but Kastaneer will be unavailable on Saturday.

Midfielders Liam Kelly (nerve in his leg) and Jamie Allen (groin/hip) are also nursing problems following the Liverpool game, but centre-back Dom Hyam should be fit after a thigh strain. Summer signings Kyle McFadzean, Ben Wilson, Marko Marosi, Fankaty Dabo, Wesley Jobello, Josh Pask and Dan Bartlett will hope to make their debuts for the Sky Blues.

Southend will be without Rob Kiernan after he sustained an ankle injury this week. The defender, who spent 18 months on the sidelines with knee injuries before returning to full fitness in March, has damaged ligaments but the club are awaiting the results of scans to determine the extent of the problem.

Shrimpers boss Kevin Bond is hopeful of signing two more defenders ahead of the trip to the West Midlands. Bond, appointed as permanent manager at the end of last season, has added Daniel Udoh, Brandon Goodship, Mark Milligan and Nathan Ralph to his squad over the summer.

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Coventry City completed the league double over Southend in 2018-19; the first time the Sky Blues have done so since the 1956-57 campaign.

Southend's defeat away to Coventry last season was their first such loss since October 1960; the Shrimpers had won three and drawn three of their six other visits before last season.

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Coventry City have lost both of their previous season openers in Birmingham, losing vs Birmingham in 1980-81 and vs Aston villa in 1984-85.

This is only the fifth time since the 1998-99 campaign Southend will play their season opener away from home - they have won two and drawn two of their most recent four such away days.

Southend manager Kevin Bond and Coventry boss Mark Robins have met as managers just once before, when Bond's Bournemouth side travelled up to Robins' Rotherham back in March 2007, and goals from David McGoldrick and James Hayter secured a 2-0 win for the away side.

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