Clough’s high praise for ex-City loanee

Coventry City will have to find their way past Stephen Bywater if they are to have any chance of three points at Derby on Friday night and the one-time Sky Blues loanee is in fine form according to his manager Nigel Clough.

‘We’re very, very pleased with him,’ said the Rams supremo, quoted in the Derby Evening Telegraph.

‘When you look at the list of English goalkeepers, he must be in the top half-dozen in the country.’

Now 28, Bywater played 14 times for Coventry while on loan from West Ham at the start of the 2005/06 season.

Another former City loanee, central defender Dean Leacock is fit again after a bout of mumps and could also play in the Pride Park clash.