Eldin Jakupovic: Hull goalkeeper rejoins Leyton Orient

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Eldin JakupovicImage source, Empics

Hull City goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic has rejoined promotion-chasing League One side Leyton Orient on loan.

The 29-year-old initially joined Orient last month and kept three clean sheets in his four appearances.

However the Switzerland international was recalled by the Premier League club after Tigers number one Allan McGregor received a three-match ban.

Jakupovic has now returned to the Matchroom Stadium and will remain with the O's until mid-April.

"We've watched and monitored the situation and I am good friends with [Hull boss] Steve Bruce as well so that has helped," Orient manager Russell Slade told BBC London 94.9.

"We have been able to keep a dialogue going with Hull City."

The return of Bosnia-born Jakupovic, who was signed after Jamie Jones suffered a long-term back injury, should solve a goalkeeping crisis for Slade.

After Jakupovic returned to Hull on 29 January, Slade brought in Ben Alnwick from Charlton on transfer deadline day.

Alnwick played in the 2-1 defeat at Rotherham on 1 February but was subsequently given a leave of absence on medical grounds.

The east London club then made a loan move for Bournemouth's Shwan Jalal, who played in the defeats at home by Peterborough and Bristol City.

"We have had a problem with the goalkeeping situation which I don't think has helped our cause too much," Slade added.

"With losing Eldin, when we thought we had found a replacement at least in the medium term for Jamie Jones, we had to go back into the market fairly rapidly.

"We got Ben Alnwick which we thought would be a really sound signing for us but unfortunately it has not turned out that way.

"In an emergency - within 48 hours - we had to get another keeper in with first-team experience because that was important to us. He [Jalal] has had a difficult time, particularly in the second of the two games and has picked up a bit of a groin strain.

"The most worrying position is filling that number one shirt and it has been a major concern. It has taken up a lot of my time in terms of dealing with that."

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