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Coventry City manager Frank Lampard has confirmed that USMNT striker Haji Wright will miss the start of the Premier League season. Wright has suffered a serious quad injury and could be sidelined for up to three months, which rules him out of the much-awaited opening match against reigning champions Arsenal on Friday night and delays his top-flight debut.

Coventry City have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their Premier League return. Lampard confirmed that the striker may be unavailable for as long as three months because of the severe quad problem. The setback means Wright will play no part when Coventry begin the new campaign away to Arsenal on Friday night.

The 28-year-old had an excellent season last time around, scoring 17 goals to help his side win the Championship title and secure promotion. He also missed the final two pre-season friendlies against Espanyol and Monaco, and his absence leaves a major void in the squad as they get ready for their first top-flight fixture in 25 years.

Speaking before the clash against Arsenal, Lampard addressed the issue directly. "Haji Wright won’t be available for the Arsenal game," Lampard said. "He won’t be available for a little while; he’s got a very serious quad injury which is disappointing for Haji and for us. It’s certainly going to be a number of weeks - could even be up to 12 weeks."

The blow is even harder to take given the manager’s recent praise for Wright. In an exclusive interview with GOAL yesterday, Lampard had underlined Wright’s importance and pointed to his hat-trick against Middlesbrough last season as evidence of the competitive edge required for the top division.

As Wright works on his recovery, Coventry have moved quickly in the transfer market to strengthen their attacking options. The club have signed two strikers this week alone, bringing in Taiwo Awoniyi from Nottingham Forest for a reported £9 million and Sidiki Cherif from Fenerbahce.

Awoniyi joins with four seasons of Premier League experience, having scored 21 league goals during his spell at Nottingham Forest. His arrival is set to create strong competition for starting places alongside Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante. In addition, Coventry have broken their transfer record four times in this window, spending £23.1m on midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi to make sure they are ready for the demands of the season.

Coventry will now look to get a positive result against Arsenal on Friday without their leading scorer. Lampard has not ruled out more signings before the August 31 deadline as the club try to safeguard their Premier League status. Meanwhile, Wright will begin an extensive rehabilitation programme and hope to return within three months to finally make his long-awaited debut in England’s top competition.