City will go in search of a tenth away win of the season on Tuesday night
Hull City produced a gritty display to win at Portsmouth on Saturday and attention now turns to Ipswich Town(Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire)
Hull City face arguably their toughest assignment of the season so far on Tuesday night when they travel to Suffolk to face Ipswich Town.
City will arrive at Portman Road on the back of Saturday’s scrappy, but effective, 1-0 win at Portsmouth, which made it five straight away victories and saw them keep pace with the Tractor Boys.
Both sides sit locked on 60 points, and play their game in hand on those around them, and Sergej Jakirovic faces some key decisions after a below-par display at the weekend.
The Tigers boss must decide whether to change anything from Fratton Park, with Matt Crooks pushing for a return to the starting XI after coming off the bench to score the winner 17 minutes from time.
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Crooks has been a big miss during his enforced absence, but impressed with his match-winning cameo, while John Lundstram also showed some positive signs as he continues his recovery.
Given Ipswich’s threats out wide, he may look to bring in added defensive cover with Cody Drameh a possible option, while Semi Ajayi is set to return to the squad after a month out with a hamstring injury.
Ajayi’s return does give him the option to go to three central defenders and deploy wing-backs in a bid to provide added cover, though he may keep that option up his sleeve for later in the game should it be required.
He’ll also know his midfield must be more mobile than it was at Pompey, and be much more careful with the ball against an Ipswich side capable of causing all sorts of problems to anyone in this division.
Jakirovic will also be faced with the decision whether to keep faith with Lewis Koumas out wide, after he started his first league game on Saturday, in place of Liam Millar, who dropped to the bench.
The most likely is to bring Koumas out of the side, shift Joe Gelhardt back out wide on the opposite flank to Kyle Joseph and restore Crooks to the midfield role he’s been so effective in.
Another option is to rest Oli McBurnie with two huge games to come after this one, and start Joseph through the middle with Gelhardt, Crooks and Millar in support, given how much the Scotland striker has got through in recent games.
City’s predicted starting XI: Pandur, Famewo, Hughes, Egan, Coyle, Amir, Slater, Crooks, Gelhardt, Joseph, McBurnie.
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