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Lee Hendrie has told FLW his pick to win the Championship play-offs this season

Lee Hendrie believes that Coventry City will gain promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs.

The Sky Blues will face Sunderland over two legs in the semi-finals, with the winners facing either Bristol City or Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium for a place in the top flight.

Coventry narrowly missed out on promotion during the 2022/23 campaign, losing to Luton Town in the play-off final.

Meanwhile, Frank Lampard also previously lost the big game at Wembley when he was Derby County manager, with Aston Villa gaining promotion at their expense.

Hendrie offers Championship play-off verdict

Hendrie believes it is a tough one to call this year, claiming Sheffield United will be quite downbeat after missing out on automatic promotion.

He highlighted the final day struggles of Coventry and Bristol City as a sign of how competitive the division’s been this year, which will come across when the play-offs get underway.

“It’s such a tough call,” Hendrie exclusively told Football League World.

“I mean, Sunderland have been sitting, waiting for weeks knowing that they’ve secured that spot.

“And then obviously you look at the teams that were fighting to get in the two spaces that were available, obviously Coventry and Bristol City ended up getting.

“It showed how close it was that it went to the final day.

“But it’s always difficult to call these I feel.

“Sheffield United will be certainly downbeat that they didn’t get automatic, and again I think listening to Chris Wilder, he feels he has to be ready, equipped to go into these games.

“And I think the time had come where they still had a couple of games to play, it’s all about refreshing ideas — which he has done, he’s changed things around, people will be rested, people will have that little break going into the games — so, it is a real, real tough one to call going into these play-offs.”

Hendrie backs Coventry for promotion

Hendrie has named Coventry as his pick to win the play-offs, although he feels Sheffield United will be their biggest threat to a place in the Premier League.

“I think Sheffield United will be favourites for sure, with the squad depth they have, but I’ve just got a sneaking feeling that Coventry could be the side that could have that chance.

“They definitely have the experience from under Mark Robins, being there and losing in the final to Luton, and Frank’s been there and had the experience also at Derby.

“For me, it’s always going to be out of Sheffield United and Coventry, and I only say this because Sunderland are a fantastic football club with a great fanbase, but I just think them being stood still for a little could be, I think, their poisoning and them not going up.

“But I’ve got a feeling it will be out of Sheffield United or Coventry.

“If I had to call one, I would probably say Coventry just because I’ve got this real strange feeling that Frank’s come in and done a great job and I think they’ve been there and had a taste of it.”

The first legs take place on 8 and 9 May, while the return fixtures will be on 12 and 13 May before the final later this month.

Coventry have momentum behind them

It’s an unusual play-offs this year because none of the four sides are going into the mini tournament with any kind of form.

But Coventry still have a lot of momentum behind them due to the nature of their rise back up the table under Lampard.

Sheffield United will be tipped by many to seal the deal, but none of the four sides should be ruled out.

Sunderland are perhaps on the backfoot the most due to their sustained run of poor form, but they have a squad filled with quality that can win games if they can rise to the occasion of the play-offs.