The Tigers have no shortage of bumps and bruises going into their third game of a busy week
Hull City are set to be without striker Oli McBurnie for Saturday’s visit of Charlton Athletic to the MKM Stadium after scan results revealed some damage to his calf, with head coach Sergej Jakirovic admitting he cannot yet name his team for the visit of the Addicks.
McBurnie watched from the stands on Tuesday night as City swept aside Leicester City with a 2-1 MKM Stadium victory to make it three wins in a row in the Championship, thanks to goals from Liam Millar and Joe Gelhardt.
The in-form frontman had complained of some discomfort in recent days and was withdrawn in the second half of last Saturday’s 3-2 win at Birmingham City, and it was initially expected the 29-year-old would just be rested on Tuesday night as a precaution, but an MRI scan has revealed a little more damage than first thought.
It’s hoped the Leeds-born star, who won September’s Player of the Month crown, could feature next weekend at Norwich City, but boss Sergej Jakirovic is reluctant to take any risks.
The Tigers will have Ryan Giles available after initial concerns following his early exit on Tuesday night, and both Lewie Coyle and David Akintola are expected to be involved.
City are also expected to welcome Brandon Williams back into the first team fold after playing in recent Under-21 games to build up his fitness.
There’s also more promising news that both John Lundstram and Mohamed Belloumi could be back before the international break, with a return against Portsmouth on November 8 pencilled in, but that will depend on how they continue to progress in their respective returns from calf and hamstring injuries.
“If you ask me now who will play on Saturday at this moment, I don’t know,” the gaffer confessed in conversation with Hull Live. “I don’t have a clue because some players are exhausted, tired still today (Thursday), so I need to pick the right ones, to choose the right ones, because it will be very important. Tomorrow (Friday), we have to decide who will play on Saturday, so we will see.
“We have a lot of problems again, because after every game we’re losing one or two players. It’s very difficult because you have one idea in your mind, and then you have to change two or three positions. I’m just waiting after every game, every night, for a call from my doctor. If he’s ringing, then it’s a problem.”
What’s McBurnie saying?
“When you speak with Oli and you’re asking him, he’s always ready. With his calf, we need to be very, very careful, and it’s more no than yes for Saturday. We’re going day by day.
“It’s very strange. Before the Birmingham game, he did an MRI scan, and there was a clean picture, nothing. After the Birmingham game, there’s a small problem there. This is the reason why we need to be careful.”
There is a school of thought that the medical staff might keep him out for the next couple of weeks and bring him back for Portsmouth, to give him time to recover, something Jakirovic is mindful of.
“Maybe it’s better to spare him, to save him,” he said when asked if it was better to give him more time. “We have a lot of games as well. After the international break, we have 11 games from the end of November and in December, so we have to be smart.
“He always wants to play, even before this game against Leicester, he wants to play, but then came the MRI result and then he cannot play. I’m optimistic because if the MRI shows there’s nothing there, then it’s much easier to make a decision.”
On Lewie Coyle
“If it’s the play-off final, he will play for sure. It’s also that you will be with us. If you must play, you will play, you will take painkillers, this, and that, but we will see. Tomorrow (Friday), he will be in training, and then we will decide.”
Will David Akintola be involved?
“Lower back and in the warm-up (was hurting), against Leicester. Right now, he’s better, and tomorrow (Friday), if he’s in training, he will be in the squad.”
Is Ryan Giles OK?
“He’s good. He just, I think, temporarily blocked, maybe from some duels against Abdul Fatawu. He’s an amazing player, really, really dangerous. For me, Gilo played a very, very good game, especially defensively. He was very good and also assisted with the second goal, so perfect.”
How about Brandon Williams?
“Brandon will be with us. He feels much better. He played on Tuesday and played very good, so this is the plan to increase the minutes that he has consistency in games, and this is a good plan. He agreed with everything, and he’s aware of everything. Right now it’s good, and maybe he will be in the squad for the weekend.”
The latest on John Lundstram and Mo Belloumi
“For Lundstram and Belloumi, our target is Portsmouth, but if there are any doubts, we will wait until after the international break, then they will be fit for sure.
“More December than November. Right now, he’s on protocol all the time. He had some problems after a lot of load in sessions, so now we have decreased a little bit of that load. We have to be smart in this situation.”
It’s been a physical few games….
“Yes (physical), especially at Birmingham which was a very tough game. Now Leicester, when they press you must defend. It’s difficult every game, it’s a lot of energy, a lot of strength, so a lot of challenges all over the pitch.
“Maybe we sometimes need the referee to protect the players. OK, intensity, everything, but when it’s a foul, it’s a foul, so. You must protect football.
“Sometimes when I see with Oli McBurnie, with Kyle Joseph, Enis Destan, how they’re suffering. They’re (opposition defenders) killing them in every duel, so it’s not easy to be calm every time after those duels, so you can have a reaction after. It’s football, it’s an emotional game, but it’s difficult for the strikers for sure.”
Here at Hull Live, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service.