City know they need wins to avoid blowing their golden opportunity
Sergej Jakirovic has some big decisons to make (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakrovic knows his side are at the stage of the season where he must consider taking more risks with players returning from injury, and that is likely to be reflected in his team selection at Leicester City on Tuesday night.
Three points are a must for City if they’re to keep their play-off place which has looked increasingly flimsy in recent weeks with just one win in six.
That run of form, which incudes a four-game winless run – the longest under Jakirovic – has allowed Derby County and Wrexham to close the gap to just two point with three games left, starting with their trip to the King Power Stadium.
Jakirovic has tried to be careful with returning players like Ryan Giles and Mo Belloumi in the recent past, but they’ve still picked up serious injuries.
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Belloumi has been back for a few weeks now and has shown his qualities, but Giles only returned from a 10-game absence in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham City, playing the final 20 minutes.
Though he’ll hope to preserve them for a potential play-off campaign, the Croatian is acutely aware that a semi-final might not be forthcoming if their slump in form continues.
Giles, who has eight assists from an early season glut, has been a big miss in the last four months, especially when it comes to his ability to create for Oli McBurnie, and it’s likely he will return to the starting XI at the King Power.
Elsewhere, John Lundstram will likely come back into the centre of midfield after serving a one-match suspension at the weekend. City’s midfield of Amir Hadziahmetovic and Matt Crooks struggled to dominate the Blues. Regan Slater could return from an ankle injury, but is not likely to start the game in the East Midlands.
Bringing back Lundstram would allow Crooks to push further forward in support of McBurnie, and ease some of the pressure on him. Though Joe Gelhardt scored City’s goal against Birmingham, he struggled to get on the ball from the central position behind the Scotsman, and could be deployed wide. There could also be a recall for Kyle Joseph, with City missing his pressing abilities in recent weeks.
Afer starting Liam Millar and Mo Belloumi in the past couple of games, Jakirovic may opt to revert to his system from earlier in the campaign with Joseph and Gelhardt on the flanks, keeping Millar, Belloumi and Yu Hirakawa in reserve.
City’s predicted XI: Pandur, Giles, Egan, Ajayi, Coyle, Amir, Lundstram, Joseph, Crooks, Gelhardt, McBurnie.
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