City return to action after the latest international break at QPR on Saturday afternoon
Hull City are edging closer to having more of their key players back to full fitness, with Oli McBurnie and John Lundstram nearing much-anticipated returns.It was hoped Lundstram would feature at QPR on Saturday, though he’s now expected to be involved against Ipswich Town at the start of a mammoth run through the festive period.The dynamic midfielder has missed City‘s last six games with a calf injury and is expected to return to full training on Monday ahead of Tuesday night’s showdown with the Tractor Boys under the MKM Stadium lights.McBurnie was due back at Norwich City at the beginning of the month, before suffering a setback, and has been pencilled in to return at Stoke City next weekend, though there is caution surrounding that possible reintroduction with the Scotland international not yet back in training after his calf issue.Liam Millar continues to make progress, and he’s expected to return to Millwall early next month, though he could yet come back ahead of schedule.Mohamed Belloumi has come through the last two weeks of training and will be in the squad at Loftus Road, as he looks to make his mark following a long spell out with an ACL injury and then a hamstring problem.Semi Ajayi, John Egan, Ivor Pandur and Amir Hadziahmetovic have all returned from international duty unscathed, but Kasey Palmer remains sidelined with the knee injury which has kept him out since the last international break and will do so until the back end of next month.Meanwhile, Eliot Matazo remains on course to return after Christmas as he continues his road to recovery from an ACL injury picked up at Cardiff City last season.
“Mo Belloumi is with us. He’s been in full training (during the international break). Lunny, we’re expecting will be with us next week (for Ipswich) and Oli McBurnie against Stoke,” head coach Sergej Jakirovic told Hull Live.
“For now, just Liam (Millar), but we hope to have him at Millwall on December 13th. This is the target for Liam.”
“Lunny will be with us from Monday. He will be in full training from Monday and can be involved against Ipswich and Stoke City.”
On McBurnie, who hasn’t played since coming off in the second half of the win at Birmingham City, Jakirovic was cautiously optimistic about being available for the lunchtime showdown at the bet365 Stadium next weekend.
“Our target for Oli is Stoke, but we will see. I must respect players who have played till now. We need the (injured) players to have a good reintroduction and make sure they’re in good shape.
“They are not robots; they will need time for sure. We have to be cautious, but I will decide who will play in the first 11 and who will play after, as always.
“He has therapy right now, and he’s indoors all the time with the physios. He was not on the pitch. He was on the pitch three weeks ago. Then he tried to push to come back at Norwich, and then he felt it again, and this is something that we need to slow down with his recovery.”
Millar, who limped out of the draw with former club Charlton Athletic shortly after coming off the bench, remains on course.
“The physios are very satisfied, and maybe they can push him one week earlier, but we have a good experience from before,” Jakirovic said. “Maybe it’s better that we don’t push him. Our prediction was six weeks, and we think it will be six weeks.
“I didn’t see Eliot for two weeks. I was thinking he escaped somewhere, and then yesterday I met him,” the Croatian joked of Matazo’s progress.
“This was an agreement between him, the doctor and physios. He’s OK. He’s happy with his progression, and now we will see. He told me in November I will be on the pitch, so we put on a bet because there is no chance he will be on the pitch. Maybe in January, he will be on the pitch; we will see.”
Owing to City’s terrific form and the form of those in the team, the pressure on Jakirovic to rush players back is perhaps not as strong as it would be were results to be poor and the team struggling, something he says is important.
“For sure, they’re buying some time because you see all the players deserve to play,” he explained. “They’re using their chances. For me, it’s most important that we are playing like a team.
“No matter who is missing, who is in, we are playing, and this is something that I’m very happy with.”
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