The Tigers were boosted by the return of their Belgian midfielder
Sergej Jakirovic of Hull City arrives at the MKM Stadium(Image: Greig Cowie/Shutterstock )
Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic sprung a surprise for the Tigers’ MKM Stadium showdown with Millwall at the MKM Stadium by naming Eliot Matazo on the bench.
It’s the first time in 375 days that Matazo has been named in a City squad, after recovering from the knee ligament injury he sustained in the 1-0 defeat at Cardiff City in February last year.
After a flurry of setbacks in his recovery, Matazo had only recently returned to full training and made his comeback on the pitch by playing the first 30 minutes of the Under-21s‘ 3-2 win at Peterborough United on Tuesday.
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The Belgian midfielder, who joined City from Monaco last January, is expected to play an hour on Tuesday afternoon when City’s Under-21s host Sheffield United at the MKM Stadium, but seeing him back in a Championship matchday squad will come as a major boost to him and the injury-hit Tigers.
Elsewhere, City’s injury worries were not quite as bad as first feared, with Lewie Coyle recovering in time to take his place at left-back, while there was a first start since the win at Millwall for fit-again Semi Ajayi, who came in to replace John Egan.
John Lundstram made his return to the starting line-up alongside Regan Slater, with Kyle Joseph and Oli McBurnie restored to the starting line-up having been rested in midweek.
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Like Coyle, Amir Hadziahmetovic was a major doubt coming into the game with an ankle injury he sustained at Ipswich Town in midweek, but was named on the bench, where there was a return for Manchester United loanee Toby Collyer.
Despite having Coyle and Amir available, the Tigers were still without the suspended Matt Crooks, along with the flurry of injuries, including Ryan Giles, Yu Hirakawa and Akin Famewo, while the game came too soon for Mo Belloumi.
City: Pandur, Coyle (c), Hughes, Ajayi, Drameh, Slater, Lundstram, Gelhardt, Joseph, McBurnie, Millar. Subs: Phillips, McNair, Egan, Koumas, Dowell, Collyer, Matazo, McCarthy, Amir.
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