Hull City play their final Championship game before the FA Cup clash with Blackburn Rovers, as they take on in-form Watford
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic head into Sunday’s clash with Watford with yet more injury worries as he faces more key absentees.
Jakirovic will be unable to call upon no fewer than six first-team players for the visit of the Hornets, who leapfrogged City into fourth place with their thumping win over Birmingham City on New Year’s Day, while the Tigers suffered their annual home loss to Stoke.
City lost winger Mo Belloumi to a hamstring injury on Boxing Day at Sheffield Wednesday, and then ever-present star Ryan Giles suffered a similar injury after just three minutes of Monday night’s win on Teesside.
Akin Famewo played at left-back against the Potters, but Jakirovic could opt to hand a first start of the season to Matty Jacob, who is back from a loan spell at Reading, which was cut short because of a knee injury.
James Furlong is also back in the squad, as he seeks a first Championship appearance for the Tigers since arriving in the summer of 2023 from Brighton.
The Tigers boss will be desperate to try and inject some freshness into a depleted squad that looked tired and lethargic against Stoke, with their five-game unbeaten run coming to a shuddering halt in front of a near-capacity MKM Stadium crowd.
Jakirovic made two changes against Mark Robins’ men with Liam Millar and Oli McBurnie coming in for the injured Giles and Joel Ndala, but in a bid to try and spark his side into life, the Croatian sent on Amir Hadziahmetovic, Enis Destan, Ndala, David Akintola and Kasey Palmer.
Hadziahmetovic and Palmer are pushing for recalls, with Palmer searching for a first start since the early weeks of the season while Cody Drameh could come back into the fold and provide an alternative option at full-back.
His biggest decision, however, comes on the left side. Centre-back Famewo did a solid job, but offered little support to Liam Millar going forward, and as a consequence, City lacked any real threat from the flanks for the first time this season, so what happens there will be key.
Given that Jacob struggled in League One, and Furlong has not played at this level yet, he may opt to go again with Famewo for the first hour and hope for a much-improved display elsewhere.
City’s predicted starting XI: Pandur, Famewo, Hughes, Egan, Coyle (c), Slater, Amir, Joseph, Millar, Crooks, McBurnie.
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