Mark Robins has provided a revealing update on the immediate future of Coventry City’s midfielder, Jamie Allen. At 29 years old, Allen has faced a challenging period in his career over the past year. With just one year remaining on his contract, there has been speculation about whether he stands at a pivotal juncture in his journey with the Sky Blues.

During the 2023/24 season, Allen was only able to make 14 starting appearances and missed out on 19 Championship fixtures due to various illnesses and injuries. His season took a troubling turn from the beginning when he experienced a heart scare in June last year while gearing up for pre-season preparations.

Following a brief hospital stay and a series of tests, Allen had to sit out of City’s warm-up matches and the initial five games of the season. He eventually returned to action by the end of September but faced setbacks including a calf injury that caused him to miss two games in mid-October. Despite showing promise with an 11-game consistent run in the starting lineup, he later found himself back on the bench, being unused in three matches toward the end of December and January.

Allen was handed the captain’s armband in the 2-1 loss against Norwich in early February. However, his season took another hit during the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Sheffield Wednesday when he suffered a fractured cheekbone, leading to surgery and a subsequent absence from the team for 12 matches.

Making a comeback in late April, Allen featured as a late substitute in three of the final four games of the season, scoring his solitary goal in the dying minutes of the last match against QPR.

Reflecting on Allen’s season, manager Robins characterized it as a “stop, stop, stop-start season.” Despite the challenges, Robins expressed his belief in Allen’s importance for the upcoming season, hoping that he will have an uninterrupted pre-season and remain available for the majority of the next campaign.

Robins also emphasized the desire to retain key players and strengthen the squad, aiming to enhance the team’s competitiveness for the following season. The goal remains to secure a spot in the top six and achieve positive results in the upcoming campaign.