Coventry City have suffered a substantial setback ahead of their promotion run-in.

Sunderland’s potential Championship play-off rivals Coventry City have suffered a notable injury blow heading into the final stretch of their promotion push this season, with goalkeeper Oliver Dovin set to undergo surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament issue.

The 22-year-old was forced off during the first half of last Friday’s defeat at the hands of Sheffield United, and fears over the extent of his setback have now been confirmed by City boss Frank Lampard. Dovin joined Coventry from Swedish side Hammarby last summer and has made 30 appearances for the Sky Blues this season, while also being called up for Sweden during last month’s international break.

What has Coventry City boss Frank Lampard said about Oliver Dovin’s injury?

Speaking to ccfc.co.uk, Lampard said: “So, he [Dovin] has got, as we feared, an ACL injury, which ends his season. He is going to have surgery and we’re really disappointed for him. The time frame, I’m not going to go there, but in the short term we know that his season is done. He has had an incredible season personally and the strides he’s taken since we’ve been here, making the Sweden squad, makes it slightly more bitter because he’s been doing so well.

“We spoke to him and he understands it now, and these things are obviously challenging for young players who want to play and want to do well, so we will all support him along the way.”

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

How are Coventry City shaping up in the battle for promotion?

At the time of writing, Coventry sit fifth in the Championship table, 13 points adrift of Sunderland in fourth, and two points clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough. The Sky Blues have largely enjoyed a significant upturn in fortunes during Lampard’s time at the club, but have lost two of their last three outings in the second tier.

An aforementioned 3-1 defeat against Sheffield United and a disappointing loss at the hands of struggling Derby County have bookended an eye-catching 3-0 victory over Sunderland at the CBS Arena just prior to the international break.

Speaking about his side’s promotion hopes recently, Lampard said: “I'd have settled to be in the top 12 when I came in. That's where we were looking, so to get to where we are is a great thing and we have to reset a little with our mindset and thought process. Will we stay in the play-offs all the way to the end? Who knows, maybe not, but can we keep fighting to get in there? For sure."

Reflecting on Coventry’s win over Sunderland last month, Lampard also said: “I don’t want to eulogise about the performance because it will make people think we think we have cracked it. We haven’t but in terms of negating the good stuff I have seen Sunderland do – and I am a big admirer of how they play – it felt like a bit of a match up to me in terms of how they’ll play against how we play, and can we be better than them. So I think the players took on board all of those things and we stopped their high level players getting on the ball in high areas and put pressure on them to not be able to relax and have control of the game, and the players did that, I think.”

Your next Sunderland read: Tony Mowbray delivers resentment verdict on Sunderland and fans ahead of West Brom clash