The Tigers return to the MKM Stadium after successive road trips to Portsmouth and Ipswich
Matt Crooks will miss the game with Millwall after collecting his 10th booking of the season on Tuesday night (Image: Joe Toth/Shutterstock)
Former double Championship promotion winner Kevin Phillips believes those players Sergej Jakirovic calls upon for injury-ravaged Hull City against Millwall must step up as they have done before.
No fewer than 10 first-team players will be absent when City host their play-off rivals at the MKM Stadium, with the likes of Ryan Giles, Mo Belloumi, Yu Hirakawa, Lewie Coyle and Darko Gyabi all sidelined through injury, while Matt Crooks sits out the first of a two-game ban for picking up 10 yellow cards.
City, of course, are no strangers to struggling with injuries, given it’s been the theme of the season so far. Already this season, the Tigers have had to operate for long periods without key players like Oli McBurnie, Joe Gelhardt, Crooks and John Lundstram, but they’ve managed to keep their fine form going, and Phillips says that will have to be the case again as he backs the Tigers to respond to that midweek setback at Ipswich Town.
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“First and foremost, when you lose two of your influential players at this stage of the season, when you’re pushing for the play-offs, it’s a blow and the quicker you can get those players back the better,” he told BestBettingSites.
“Of course, one (Crooks) is suspended, so that’s not a huge issue, but nevertheless, it’s not ideal. Again, if someone’s misfortune is someone else’s fortune, whoever comes in and steps into those roles – it’s a great opportunity. Having been there, being a manager, that’s all you can ask the players.
“When players are left out or they’re out with injury or suspension, whoever you put in, be ready and take your opportunity. It’s really important now for the senior players within the squad to step up and really help the younger players in the squad because they’re in a position – of course, they lost the other night, which was disappointing, but to a very good Ipswich team.
“They’ve had to step back now, the two players missing. It’s an opportunity for other people to come in and cement, try and cement a place in that side for the rest of the season.”
Millwall will arrive in East Yorkshire one place and two points above Jakirovic’s men in the top six and on the back of three straight wins, while City will be looking to get back to winning ways after Tuesday’s defeat at Portman Road, and the former striker is expecting a tight tussle.
“It should be a good game,” he added. “Hull (City) coming off the back of a loss, Millwall were great. But Hull (City) will be hurting. I’m going to go for a score draw. 1-1.”
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