Frank Lampard has explained why he left Haji Wright out of his Coventry City team for the first time this season on Tuesday night.

The Sky Blues leading scorer had featured in every game in all competitions, starting all but two matches – during which he was introduced from the bench – but was an unused substitute in the midweek 2-1 win at Portsmouth where Ellis Simms led the line.

Simms had gone on in place of the USA international to good effect just after the hour against Blackburn last weekend, when Wright looked tired and jaded from his long-haul trip to the States where the 27-year-old extended his season’s goal tally to 11 with a brace for his country in a friendly against Australia.

Explaining his absence from the starting line-up at Fratton Park, Lampard said: “Just because

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