Coventry City the team to watch as three matches moved for live TV – including two crackers

Two huge early season Coventry City matches have been moved to early kick-offs for live television coverage.

Sky Sports coverage of City’s opening-day game at home to Hull on Saturday, August 9 (12.30pm) has already been announced, but a further three games have now been selected too.

They are all against Midlands opposition – and two of them are key clashes that could have an early-season impact on the Sky Blues’ promotion ambitions.

After their Tigers opener and then a televised midweek Carabao Cup tie against Luton at the CBS Arena on August 12, Coventry will be in front of the TV cameras again when they go to Derby County, Frank Lampard’s old club, on August 16 for a 12.30pm kick-off that will be shown on Sky Sports+.

But the big clashes against potential promotion rivals will come in September.

The Sky Blues go to Leicester City on Saturday, September 20 for a 12.30pm game that will be shown live on Sky Sports Football.

Then, a week later, on Saturday, September 27, they will host Birmingham City for another 12.30pm kick-off that will also be shown on Sky Sports Football.

The Sky Blues have been slow starters in each of the last three seasons before rallying to either reach the play-offs or go very close to a top-six finish.

Lampard, installed as Coventry boss after the sacking of Mark Robins last November, will be hoping he can buck that trend and get the Sky Blues firing right from the off this time around.

The players are already back in pre-season training, and Lampard has installed two new signings – full-backs Miguel Ángel Brau from Spanish club Granada and Kaine Kesler-Hayden from Aston Villa.

Championship matches selected for live TV

Fri, Aug 8, 8pm: Birmingham v Ipswich, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Aug 9, 12.30pm: Southampton v Wrexham, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Aug 9, 12.30pm: Coventry v Hull, Sky Sports+

Sat, Aug 9, 12.30pm: Charlton v Watford, Sky Sports+

Sat, Aug 9, 5.30pm: Sheffield Utd v Bristol City, Sky Sports Football

Sun, Aug 10, 4.30pm: Leicester v Sheff Weds, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Aug 16, 12.30pm: Wrexham v West Brom, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Aug 16, 12.30pm: Derby v Coventry, Sky Sports+

Sat, Aug 16, 12.30pm: Portsmouth v Norwich, Sky Sports+

Sun, Aug 17, 12pm: Ipswich v Southampton, Sky Sports Football

Fri, Aug 22, 8pm: Derby v Bristol City, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Aug 23, 12.30pm: Charlton v Leicester, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Aug 23, 12.30pm: Swansea v Watford, Sky Sports+

Sat, Aug 23, 12.30pm: Hull v Blackburn, Sky Sports+

Fri, Aug 29, 8pm: Leicester v Birmingham, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Aug 30, 12.30pm: Middlesbrough v Sheffield Utd, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Aug 30, 12.30pm: QPR v Charlton, Sky Sports+

Sat, Aug 30, 12.30pm: Stoke v West Brom, Sky Sports+

Fri, Sept 12, 8pm: Ipswich v Sheffield Utd, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Sept 13, 12.30pm: Charlton v Millwall, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Sept 13, 12.30pm: Oxford v Leicester, Sky Sports+

Sat, Sept 13, 12.30pm: Preston v Middlesbrough, Sky Sports+

Sun, Sept 14, 12pm: Southampton v Portsmouth, Sky Sports Football

Fri, Sept 19, 8pm: Middlesbrough v West Brom, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Sept 20, 12.30pm: Leicester v Coventry, Sky Sports Football

Sat, Sept 20, 12.30pm: QPR v Stoke, Sky Sports+

Sat, Sept 20, 12.30pm: Birmingham v Swansea, Sky Sports+

Mon, Sept 22, 8pm: Millwall v Watford, Sky Sports Football

Fri, Sept 26, 8pm: West Brom v Leicester, Sky Sports Football