A host of players will be given a chance to catch the eye of Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic on Tuesday, when they host Championship newcomers Lincoln City at their Cottingham training ground.
After Saturday’s dismal 1-0 loss at bottom-side Fulham, Jakirovic will give some of those players in desperate need of extra minutes a chance to impress.
The Tigers spent a small fortune over the summer on a flurry of new arrivals, many of whom have struggled with injuries after a disjointed pre-season. As a result this game is viewed as an opportunity to give them a useful workout ahead of Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Brentford at the MKM Stadium.
It’s hoped that Mohamed-Ali Cho and Lucas Gourna-Douath could both be involved after they missed the games against Everton and Fulham through injury, while Morita and Tim Iroegbunam are both expected to feature.
Morita and Iroegbunam came off the bench at Craven Cottage and showed glimpses of their quality, but the midfield duo have both been battling injuries through pre-season and in the early weeks of the season.
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Other members of Jakirovic’s first team squad are also expected to feature, including Jens Hjerto-Dahl, who hasn’t played since the goalless draw with Aston Villa, and deadline day arrival Christos Mouzakitis.
Joe Gelhardt is another pushing for minutes, after being forced to settle for a late cameo against Fulham, having started and scored in the draw with Everton last weekend. Robinio Vaz would have been in line to start the game, but he’s nursing an Achilles problem after being on the wrong end of a red card horror challenge from Ryan Sessegnon in the final moments of Saturday’s game.
It’s not the first time City have come up against Championship opposition behind closed doors already this season. The Tigers played a friendly against Sheffield United during the recent international break, with Gelhardt and Gourna-Douath scoring in a 2-0 victory.
Lincoln, meanwhile, ended a run of three successive Championship defeats with a pulsating 2-2 draw at Millwall over the weekend, though the Imps were two up, before the Lions fought back to earn a point. Following promotion to the Championship, the Sincil Bank side sit 18th, four points above the drop zone and five off the play-offs.
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