Coventry v Shrewsbury preview: Sam Ricketts not ready to shift focus from safety

With just two matches of the season remaining and Town likely to confirm their status for next season this weekend – either before kicking a ball today or at Coventry tomorrow – minds have wondered to where Shrewsbury need to improve this summer.

Ricketts has his recruitment team busy assessing players in preparation for summer transfer bids, but the manager himself won’t be distracted ahead of tomorrow’s trip to one of his former stomping grounds.

There are permutations aplenty this weekend with Town playing 24 hours later than the rest of their divisional rivals owing to Wasps’ rugby action at the Sky Blues’ home.

Salop, who will be backed by a sell-out away allocation of 1,000 fans at the Ricoh, are safe if AFC Wimbledon fail to beat Wycombe. Even though it is not quite signed, sealed and delivered maths – a much superior goal difference effectively ensures 17th-placed Town an extra point on those below them.

Ricketts, whose playing career finished at City in 2016, predictably dismissed being overly bothered about results today, insisting they are beyond his control and he is unlikely to be sat in front of Soccer Saturday all afternoon.

Plans for the summer and next season, his first full campaign with Shrews, will be ticking away at the back of his mind, but the focus remains on the here and now – carrying out a gameplan on an exciting Coventry team who have an outside sniff at the play-offs.

And then, if things don’t fall into place, on to the final day battle against Walsall.

“You have ideas, obviously. But your focus has to be on the now,” Ricketts insisted.

“You have an idea where you want to go.

“If you want to be where we want to be next season then you’ve got to have an idea of what you want to do. But ultimately your focus has to be on the now and that is Coventry. It’s not so much thinking about a squad next season.

“You have to make sure the recruitment department are watching a certain numbers of players because there are no games in the summer, you can’t watch players.

“I know what is going on but I leave it to other people, my focus has to be solely on Coventry.”

Town have got some of their summer business done nice and early but plenty lies ahead.

The futures of out-of-contract stars Anthony Grant, James Bolton and Mat Sadler are all unclear, with some expected to leave.

Exciting youngster Ryan Barnett is likely to stay on at Salop while Scott Golbourne, Reice Charles-Cook and Lenell John-Lewis all see their deals run out.

Ricketts admitted that the outcome of today’s fixtures could have a bearing on how he lines Town up tomorrow.

Coventry welcome Shrewsbury to the Ricoh Arena tomorrow still in with a slim chance of reaching the League One play-offs.

Here, Coventry Telegraph reporter Andy Turner gives us his guide to the Sky Blues.

How would you sum up Coventry’s season?

It has ranged from poor home form and a struggle to score goals and beat the poorer sides in the division to exhilarating and exciting displays against the top teams, particularly away from home. A few more goals and bit more consistency and they’d have comfortably been in the play-offs.

Is Mark Robins seen to have done a good job to keep Coventry away from the entire bottom half, who have all been effectively fighting relegation?

Yes, he’s done an excellent job in the club’s first season back in League One. The fans love him and firmly believe he’s the man to take the club to the next level with a more sustained promotion push next season.

How have the fans viewed the season as a whole? Did they expect more?

I think most would have settled for a decent season of consolidation in their first season back in the third tier. Robins said from day one he wanted to make the play-offs and City have gone pretty close. While it’s still mathematically possible, albeit unlikely, the fans remain hopeful that Doncaster and Peterborough can slip up and open the back door.

The season has got better as it has gone on, with the addition of Bright Enobakhare in January helping to light up the forward line and spark some scintillating displays, the best and most memorable being the 5-4 victory at Sunderland.

What is the mood in the camp at this stage? Are the club on the beach or still gunning for play-offs?

There’s a real feel-good factor about the club concerning the way the team are playing and that went up a notch this week with the news all fans wanted to hear when the club finally opened talks with Wasps regarding a new deal to stay at the Ricoh Arena.

As for the play-offs, while it’s still mathematically possible, City are very much pushing every step of the way to win their last two games to play their part in the final run-in. No chance of the sun tan lotion and budgie smugglers coming out any time soon!

How is the injury and availability situation?

Apart from long-term injuries (Max Biamou and Jodi Jones – both ACLs) there should be a clean bill of health.

Who are the players Shrews need to look out for?

Enobakhare is a class act.

Luke Thomas also has the fans on the edge of their seats with his pace and trickery on the flank, albeit often frustrating when it comes to the end product, while Jordy Hiwula is in form with four goals in his last five.

Predicted teams:

Shrewsbury (3-4-2-1): Mitchell; Williams, Waterfall, Beckles; Sears, Norburn (c), Grant, Golbourne; Docherty, Whalley; Campbell.

Subs: Sadler, Bolton, Laurent, Gilliead, Amadi-Holloway, Okenabirhie, Charles-Cook (gk)

Coventry: Burge; Sterling, Willis, Hyam, Mason; Kelly, Shipley, Thomas, Enobakhare, Hiwula; Bakayoko.