Coventry City development should take the sting out of Ben Sheaf injury blow: View
Whilst the Ben Sheaf injury news is very bad for Coventry, their January signing’s performances could soften the blow.
The Sky Blues reached the play-off final last season but lost out on promotion to the Premier League after a defeat on penalties to Luton Town.
After a rocky start to this campaign, Coventry are now one of the form teams in the division – they have only lost twice in the Championship since the start of December.
With the departure of key players in the summer like Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres, it was time for other members of the squad to step up in their absence.
Sheaf has arguably been Coventry’s best player so far this season, and the defensive midfielder has started in every single league game he has featured in.
But in unfortunate news for the Sky Blues and Sheaf, the 26-year-old is set to be out for six to eight weeks.
He picked up a hamstring injury in the 2-2 draw with Bristol City, being forced off in only the 12th minute.
Sheaf has been excellent in the centre of midfield – he ranks highly for defensive actions and shot attempts when compared to other midfielders in the division.
His impressive form both before and since Hamer’s departure have seen him draw Premier League links of his own. Luton were reportedly keen in January but he remained at the CBS Arena.
Whilst Sheaf’s injury is a massive loss for Mark Robins’ side, one of their January signings is already stepping up to the plate in Sheaf’s absence.
Victor Torp, a 24-year-old Danish midfielder, joined in the winter transfer window from Norwegian side Sarpsborg for a reported fee of €2.5 million (£2.2 million).
He has been brought into the side a lot sooner than perhaps predicted due to Sheaf’s injury, with Robins saying upon his signing: “He will need a period of adjustment but we are confident that he will adapt to the intensity and demands of training and the Championship.”
But Torp has taken to Championship football like a duck to water, despite being rushed into the side sooner than initially planned.
He started his Coventry career off in style, scoring from 20 yards out against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup, earning his side a replay (which they won), and then made his league debut off the bench in the match against Bristol City, coming on as a second half substitute for Josh Eccles.
Torp’s performance against the Robins caught the eye and he impressed enough to earn himself a start in the 2-1 loss to Norwich City last weekend.
It’s a small sample size but what we’ve seen from Torp against the Robins and Norwich suggests he can take the sting out of Sheaf’s injury blow significantly.
The January signing’s stats per 90 show that he is a real asset defensively but also strong in possession and a weapon in the final third – as his assist for Callum O’Hare’s goal in the defeat to the Canaries illustrated.
If Torp can continue his impressive start then Robins’ side may be able to keep the pedal down in the race for the top six despite Sheaf’s absence while when he returns, they’ll boast some impressive depth in central midfield.
At first his signing may have looked like something of a risk, given the substantial fee and him being relatively unknown, but he could turn out to be arguably one of the best buys of the January transfer window.
