Coventry manager Chris Coleman has praised defender Elliott Ward for returning to pre-season in peak condition despite undergoing surgery.

The former West Ham player had an operation on his ankle at the end of the last campaign which was declared a success by the club.

Coleman was pleased with the players fitness levels as pre-season began but reserved special praise for Ward.

"Elliott looks extremely fit," Coleman told the club's official website. "He has lost a lot of weight, has worked hard and is in great shape.

"I have watched him as a player for about five or six years and he is in better shape than I have ever seen him before."