Coventry City player could suffer badly from Frank Lampard's cold shoulder | OneFootball

Coventry City striker Norman Bassette has found himself out of favour under head coach Frank Lampard in recent weeks.

It has been a turbulent season for Coventry City in the Championship, but they now look to be heading in the right direction under head coach Frank Lampard.

Coventry made the controversial decision to part company with long-serving manager Mark Robins in November after seven-and-a-half years in charge, and the appointment of Lampard as his replacement was greeted with caution by supporters.

Lampard made an inconsistent start to his tenure at the CBS Arena, but there have been clear signs of late that the 46-year-old is beginning to make an impact, with the Sky Blues winning five of their last six league games, and their only defeat in that run came against leaders Leeds United.

Coventry returned to winning ways with a 1-0 home victory over Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday night, with Bobby Thomas' 94th-minute header sealing a crucial three points for Lampard's men, and ahead of Wednesday night's fixtures, they sit eighth in the table, just one point from the play-off places.

Having initially been unconvinced by the appointment of Lampard, Sky Blues supporters are now loving life with the former Chelsea boss at the helm, but striker Norman Bassette is one player who has not benefitted from the managerial change.

Norman Bassette will surely be frustrated by lack of Coventry City game time

Despite scoring just one goal in 15 senior appearances for French side Caen, Bassette made the move to Coventry for a reported fee of between £2.1 million and £2.98 million in the summer.

After his arrival at the CBS Arena, former manager Robins said that Bassette would be a "brilliant addition" for the Sky Blues, and after being gradually eased into Championship action, it looked as though that prediction was starting to come true.

Bassette first caught the eye with a bright display in the 2-1 defeat against Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup in September, and he scored his first goal for Coventry in the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United in November under caretaker manager Rhys Carr.

The 20-year-old initially retained his place in the team under Lampard, and he was on the scoresheet again in the 4-1 defeat against Portsmouth in December, although the golden chance he missed just minutes after netting at Fratton Park perhaps underlined that he still has plenty of room for improvement.

It is fair to say that while Bassette did not deliver consistently for the Sky Blues in the early stages of his time at the club, he certainly showed glimpses of his potential, and after making his senior international debut for Belgium in November, it was reported the following month that Newcastle United had sent scouts to watch him in action.

With Bassette's profile growing, he seemed set to kick on in the second half of the season, but he has not had the game time he would have hoped for since the turn of the year, making just six substitute appearances in the last eight games in all competitions.

In Bassette's defence, he has been a little unlucky to lose his place in the team, and the recent form of Brandon Thomas-Asante and Ellis Simms has contributed to his lack of minutes.

It looked as though Thomas-Asante was heading out of the exit door at the CBS Arena after he was the subject of a £1.75 million bid from Blackburn Rovers in January, but he has reignited his Sky Blues career over the last few weeks, scoring three goals and providing one assist in his last six league appearances.

Like Thomas-Asante, Simms also endured a difficult start to the season, scoring just three goals in the first half of the campaign, but he has netted twice and registered one assist in his last five league outings, making it tough for Lampard to drop him.

Thomas-Asante and Simms' recent displays have pushed Bassette down the pecking order, and with Haji Wright, who scored seven goals in 17 games prior to picking up an ankle injury in November, expected to make his return in the coming weeks, he could soon find himself even further out of favour.

Lampard opted to play Simms up front on his own in the win over QPR on Tuesday night, and should he stick with that formation, it would mean that his four strikers would be battling it out for just one place in the team, which could spell bad news for Bassette.

Having shown plenty of promise during his first few months at Coventry, resulting in a senior international debut and links with Premier League clubs, Bassette will be no doubt be concerned by his current predicament, and his development could stall if Lampard continues to overlook him.