Coventry City boss Mark Robins is quietly confident his side can continue to be competitive this season, but is not pinning everything on a win first up at Sunderland.

Three signings and three loanees have been brought to the CBS Arena, and with Gustavo Hamer, Callum O'Hare and Matt Godden still key fixtures, the outlook is bright.

"We've got some decent depth, that we didn't have last year and the quality has been added," Robins told BBC CWR.

"So fingers crossed for a good start, but it's not the be-all and end-all. I think it's something you've got to try to work into.

"Everyone is looking forward to the game. I want us to start on the front foot and have a really good day up at Sunderland."

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Image source, Rex Features

Sunderland boss Alex Neil has called on his young squad to go out and deliver their promise on the return to the Championship.

Neil did a terrific job of taking the Black Cats to the play-offs and doing what numerous other bosses didn't do by achieving promotion back to the second-tier.

Players such as loanee Aji Alesi, Daniel Ballard and Ellis Simms, plus Jack Clarke, Dennis Cirkin and Dan Neil, can all enhance their reputations if the Black Cats enjoy success this term.

"You should have no fear and embrace the challenge," the Scot told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"I think that's hopefully what youth brings you, that they shouldn't be scared of what's coming and should try to imprint themselves and show everybody what they can do.

"If you have a really good Championship season, you don't go from being a million pound player in League One, you can be a double figures millions player."

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Sky Blues loanee Callum Doyle could easily be forgiven for walking into the wrong dressing room this afternoon, when he arrives as part of Coventry's side.

The highly-rated Manchester City defender, 18, played 44 games on loan with the Black Cats last season, helping them win promotion back to the second tier.

He is one of a few ex-Mackems in the Cov team, along with South Shields lad Martyn Waghorn up front and goalkeeper Ben Wilson, from Stanley in County Durham.

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There is a long-standing rivalry between Sunderland and Coventry that goes all the way back to a delayed kick-off in the spring of 1977.

Sunderland and Coventry were both battling to avoid the drop, and their games against Everton and fellow strugglers Bristol City respectively.

Jimmy Hill got the Sky Blues' game put back 15 minutes to deal with congestion, which meant that when the news of the Black Cats defeat by the Toffees came in, there was still time remaining.

The two relegation battlers were informed over the PA system of the result, and unsurprisingly a draw was played out at Highfield Road which saved them both.

Sunderland fans have never forgiven Hill or Coventry for that. Fans have long memories.

Sunderland start Daniel Ballard, a £2m signing from Arsenal, while other new faces in Alex Bass, Aji Alese and Ellis Simms are on the bench.

Jonathan Panzo makes his Coventry debut in defence for Mark Robins' side, but Callum O'Hare's injury rules him out.

Sunderland: Patterson, Gooch, Ballard, Batth, Cirkin, Evans, Neil, Embleton, Pritchard, Clarke, Stewart

Subs: Bass, Wright, Alese, Simms, Roberts, Hume, O'Nien

Coventry: Moore, Panzo, Hyam, McFadzean, Eccles, Bidwell, Hamer, Sheaf, Allen, Godden, Gyokeres

Subs: Wilson, Rose, Doyle, Dabo, Palmer, Walker, Tavares

Hello then, good to be back isn't it? Sort of. Not sure about this July lark.

Still, must not grumble. We've got a nice Sunday dinner treat for you.

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Having seen everyone else enjoying the 'new season buzz' over the past few days, now it's the turn of Sunderland and Coventry fans to get back into stadiums, back into routine and back to the action.

For those who flock to the Stadium of Light on a regular basis, getting back to the Championship will feel a bit more like the norm after a few years of battling it out in League One.

There's optimism about, under Alex Neil's management after their surge through the play-offs last term.

Coventry City enjoyed their own special moment at the beginning of last term when they returned to their own city after a hiatus, and under Mark Robins they showed they too are a club on the up.

Plenty of promise about this one, then.