Match Preview: Barnsley V Coventry City

With more season tickets sold than last year the first crowd set to welcome the Reds out on to the pitch at Oakwell this season will certainly be a big one and hopefully they’ll make some noise against the Sky Blues, who come to Barnsley on the back of a 2-1 home win over Ipswich on the opening day of the season and a 1-0 defeat to Hartlepool in the Carling Cup 1st round.

Barnsley welcome Emil Hallfredsson to the club from Italian Serie A club Reggina on a season long loan but Simon Davey is as yet unsure as to whether or not the midfielder will receive international clearance in time for the game against Coventry City.

Darren Moore is also a huge doubt for the game having already sat out the trip to Lincoln City on Tuesday with a toe injury. Fortunately an x-ray revealed that it is at least not broken.

Hugo Colace could make a return to the squad after his calf injury but is unlikely to dislodge Jacob Butterfield or Anderson Da Silva from the centre of midfield after particularly good displays.

Iain Hume may make an appearance on the bench after a thigh injury kept him out in midweek.

As for Coventry City, who fielded a weakened side against Hartlepool United on Wednesday due to international call-ups, Chris Coleman is sweating on many of his first team players’ fitness including his two goal hero from Saturday Clinton Morrison.

Leon Best is a doubt for the game but Coleman should be able to call upon youngster Aaron Gunnarsson who impressed against Ipswich Town and also Sammy Clingan and Keiren Westwood, with all three returning from international duty.

If international clearance comes through in time, Emil Hallfredsson could be in with a chance of facing his team mate from Wednesday night in Iceland’s 1-1 draw with Slovakia in Reykjavik. Gunnarsson attracted a lot of interest for his performance against Ipswich Town at the weekend.

Barnsley will be looking to kick on with their good start to the season but as Simon Davey told barnsleyfc.co.uk, it could all be looking rosy by 5pm on Saturday or rather bleak: ‘We have not had a bad start to the season but that can all change in a day. We have competed well in both our matches so far and we have to make sure we take that into every game.’

Davey is still under immense pressure to prove his worth after showdown talks with Patrick Cryne at the end of last season and a home to defeat to Coventry City will only stoke those fires further.