Haji Wright’s long and excruciating wait came to an end on Saturday.

Wright made his first appearance of 2025 in Coventry City’s 3-2 win over Oxford United. It was the American striker’s first outing since November 9 after being sidelined with an ankle injury.

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s 71st minute goal proved to be the winner after Oxford United previously pegged the Sky Blues back twice in the match.

Wright played the final 16 minutes of the match.

The 26-year-old scored seven EFL Championship goals last fall prior to his injury. His return is a promising sight for Frank Lampard’s squad, who have won eight of their last nine matches in league play.

“Haji comes on and we know he’s a big player for us and he needs more minutes to get to that 100%,” Lampard said in his postmatch club interview.

Coventry City next hosts Stoke City on March 8.