The Tigers have hit a stumbling block in their attempts to add David Akintola to their squad
Yu Hirakawa sustained a serious ankle injury the win over Derby County last month(Image: Alfie Cosgrove/News Images)
The EFL have blocked Hull City’s request to register David Akintola in place of Yu Hirakawa, despite the Japanese international being set to miss the remainder of the season.
City had approached the governing body with the aim of taking Hirakawa out of their registered squad and replacing him with winger Akintola.
As it stands, the EFL have said no until doctors confirm that the Bristol City loanee will miss the remainder of the Championship campaign. Should that assessment be forthcoming, then there’s hope the Nigerian could be added to City’s 25-man squad.
That squad currently stands at 23 with two spaces left open for Mo Belloumi and Eliot Matazo. Belloumi is back in full training and is closing in on a return to the first team squad, while Matazo made his long-awaited comeback from a year-long absence in the Under-21s win at Peterborough United on Tuesday afternoon.
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Hirakawa picked up an ankle injury in the win over Derby County last month, and is set to miss the next eight weeks. It was expected that he may need surgery, which would have seen him out for four months, and potentially in significant danger of missing this summer’s World Cup.
As it is, boss Sergej Jakirovic says he’s not aware that a decision has been made over whether the winger will go under the knife or not, with discussions ongoing with parent club Bristol City.
“The latest information I know is that he tried to avoid the surgery, so together with the club, Bristol City, it’s on him if he decides without surgery, OK, we will support him. It will be seven, eight or nine weeks (without surgery).
“It’s the same ankle that he already had trouble with previously. Every player who has an opportunity to go to the World Cup, they will do everything to go.”
Should Hirakawa be ruled out for the remaining two months of the campaign by doctors, then City are hopeful the EFL will allow him to be de-registered, and Akintola added.
“I asked Jared (Dublin) yesterday, and he said that we asked the EFL to solve this, but the EFL rejected it,” the City boss continued. “I think it’s about whether he’s more than eight weeks out, then we can do that. You must prove everything with medical documents, which is why they rejected it.
“I hope (discussions will continue), yes, because for Yu, I think it’s over. He finished the season. This is my prediction because it’s eight or nine weeks. I hope it is (realistic that he could come back), but I’m not optimistic about our injuries because it’s always at least one week more than how it’s predicted, and this is the problem.”
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