Aiming to bounce back to winning ways and strengthen their position in the top six of the Championship table, Hull City will welcome Sheffield Wednesday to the MKM Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts remain fifth despite losing three of their last four games, while their visitors are confined to relegation and a 24th-placed finish.
Match preview
Hull City head into the weekend in search of an important victory in their Championship top-six bid, having lost ground at the top end of the table in recent weeks.
After only narrowly avoiding relegation to England’s third tier last time around and turning to Sergej Jakirovic over the summer, they have enjoyed an impressive campaign and remained firmly in the automatic promotion race in late February as back-to-back wins left them on 60 points from 34 games.
They have failed to continue that form since, though, going on to suffer consecutive losses to fellow promotion-chases Ipswich Town and Millwall in early March, before bouncing back away at seventh-placed Wrexham last midweek with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Joe Gelhardt and Lewis Koumas.
A trip to strugglers West Bromwich Albion then followed last weekend, but the Tigers failed to make it consecutive three-point hauls, instead succumbing to a 3-0 beating, having seen Charlie Hughes sent off in the first half while Josh Maja, Aune Heggebo and Isaac Price scored for the hosts.
Now finding themselves fifth in the Championship with eight games remaining, seven points outside of the top two and just three above the chasing pack in the playoff race, Hull City will be desperate to put their recent disappointment behind them and begin to cement at least a top-six spot with a return to winning ways on Saturday.
© Imago / NurPhoto
Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip across Yorkshire in search of just a second league victory of the season which will be remembered for their on and off-field troubles having entered administration in October.
Already facing an uphill battle with a thin squad, Sheffield Wednesday’s task was made impossible by deductions totalling 18 points last year, leaving them stranded at the foot of the division on -6 with eight games remaining, having won just one and lost 28 of their 38 matches.
In those games, the Owls have scored a league-low tally of 23 goals while allowing a league-high 76, but they were, at least, able to end a run of 13 straight losses dating back to the turn of the year last week, having led Watford 1-0 through Jerry Yates and been denied a second win of the season by Vivaldo Semedo’s injury-time leveller.
Left wounded by that late draw but with fresh optimism heading into their final few games in the Championship, Henrik Pedersen’s side hosted promotion-chasing Ipswich Town on Saturday and failed to spring any surprises, albeit while remaining level until the 78th minute, as Ivan Azon finally put their hosts ahead before Jack Clarke converted an 83rd-minute penalty to wrap up the points.
Now facing their last eight games of the season with hopes of reaching positive points while keeping optimism around the club’s hopeful exit from administration before beginning life in League One, Sheffield Wednesday will hope to raise spirits with a win on the road at the weekend.
Hull City Championship form:
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Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:
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Team News
© Imago / Focus Images
Hull City head into the weekend with several enforced absences, particularly after last weekend with centre-back Charlie Hughes having been sent off and full-back Lewie Coyle picking up an injury.
Coyle will likely join Akin Famewo, Ryan Giles, Darko Gyabi, and Yu Hirakawa on the sidelines, leaving Cody Drameh and Paddy McNair to deputise in defensive roles.
Lewis Koumas will hope to keep his place in the front line, despite competition from Mohamed Belloumi and Kyle Joseph for the spot alongside Oli McBurnie, who boasts 13 goals and six assists in the Championship this term, and Joe Gelhardt who has also scored 13 and assisted four.
Sheffield Wednesday continue to contend with a long injury list, particularly at the back, with Murphy Cooper, Liam Cooper, Di’Shon Bernard, Ernie Weaver, Max Lowe, Olaf Kobacki and George Brown all sidelined.
Jerry Yates will lead the Owls’ attack, having scored three goals in the last four matches, while Charlie McNeill was absent for the weekend’s defeat to Ipswich Town.
Jamal Lowe may again join Yates up top, with 20-year-old Jarvis Thornton hoping to continue in midfield alongside Svante Ingelsson and Jaden Heskey.
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Pandur; Ajayi, Egan, McNair; Drameh, Slater, Crooks, Millar; Koumas, McBurnie, Gelhardt
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Charles; Fusire, Iorfa, Otegbayo, Palmer, Adaramola; Thornton, Ingelsson, Heskey; Lowe, Yates
We say: Hull City 3-1 Sheffield Wednesday
While Hull City have been far from their best in recent weeks, we back them to play back into form against a depleted Sheffield Wednesday side who have often struggled to stay competitive over 90 minutes in tough Championship games this term.
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