Hull City

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Hull City midfielder Kasey Palmer said he is relieved to be back playing and contributing to the Tiger's battle to avoid relegation from the Championship.

The 28-year-old was credited with an assist for Abu Kamara's goal in their 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, having returned to Ruben Selles' team at the start of the month after recovering from an ankle injury picked up in December.

"It was frustrating to pick up the injury in just the manager's second or third game, and missing two or three months wasn't easy, especially with where the team was in the league," Palmer told BBC Radio Humberside.

'"I'm just buzzing to be back and to be able to contribute with us getting points and to get us to safety."

The Jamaican international joined Hull from Coventry City for an undisclosed fee in August, and said that having taken seven points from their past three games, a break for the internationals fixtures is not ideal.

"It's probably a bad time for us to be having a break with the results we are picking-up lately, but I think everyone needs a break, although the manager will be on us to make sure we're not coasting.

"He's rejuvenated us and the results are starting to come. The group has really come together and it's going to be an interesting end to the season. Hopefully, we can look up rather than down."

Hull City, who are currently 19th and three points above the relegation zone, are next in action on 29 March when they host fellow strugglers Luton Town.

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Hull City boss Ruben Selles spoke to BBC Radio Humberside after his side's 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion.

"West Brom are a really good team and a really tough opponent and I think we were as competitive as them today.

"They were more in control in the first half and we were suffering in some defensive moments but we came back in the second half even though we conceded a goal and we ended the game creating chances.

"I think it was a fair point. We could have lost it but we could have won it. We'll take the point and move forward.

"The substitutions gave us something different. The squad wants to work together and everyone is giving everything."

West Bromwich Albion will look to strengthen their position in a play off spot as they host Hull City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Baggies are currently in fifth, level on points with sixth placed Coventry City, but could see themselves pushed out the top six if both the Sky Blues and Bristol City take victory.

Meanwhile, Hull City are clear of the relegation zone by just five points and will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run to a fourth successive game.

• West Bromwich Albion have won eight of their last 10 league meetings with Hull City (D1 L1), beating the Tigers 2-1 earlier this season.

• Hull have lost each of their last seven league visits to West Brom, conceding 20 goals across those defeats. Their last win at the Hawthorns came in October 2008 in the Premier League (3-0).

• West Brom have won seven of their last nine home league games (D1 L1) and have lost just one of their last 14 at the Hawthorns (W7 D6).

• There were just 90 seconds between Joao Pedro giving Hull the lead and getting sent off against Bristol City on Saturday in Hull's last away league game. He became the first player to start a Championship game (since 2004-05), score a goal and get sent off inside the opening 14 minutes of a match.

• West Brom's Adam Armstrong has been involved in six goals in his last seven home Championship starts (4 goals, 2 assists).

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Hull boss Ruben Selles spoke to BBC Radio Humberside after Wednesday's 2-1 win against Oxford United.

"Oxford is a good opponent and it was difficult to break them in the first half," he said.

"The goal came when we were just about to make substitutions, but I think our substitutions were brilliant.

"The game completely changed when we had the unpredictability of Kasey [Palmer], Mason [Burstow] on the left side giving us something different and Regan [Slater] in the middle.

"We fought really hard, it's always difficult to win those games but I'm proud of the character that the team showed."

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Hull City have proved they can compete with anyone in the Championship, says boss Ruben Selles.

The Tigers have pulled themselves five points clear of the relegation zone with a run of just one defeat from their past five games.

"Our competitiveness is even bigger - everyone wants to play together and to compete because they know they can compete against anyone and everyone is looking forward to the next game," Selles told BBC Radio Humberside ahead of the home game against Oxford United on Wednesday.

"I don't think of it as one defeat from five, I just think it's a good thing the team is more competitive.

"I am pleased with the performances we are putting in every game and I think we are able to be more consistent in what we do."

Hull drew 1-1 at Bristol City at the weekend, having beaten Plymouth last Tuesday for their first home victory in two-and-a-half months, but Selles is refusing to get carried away.

"I don't look at the fixtures and who other teams are playing - we have Oxford in front of us and our task is to try to beat them and that's all I spend my energy on, not on speculation," he said.

Hull City will have the chance to overtake relegation rivals Oxford United when they host the U's at the MKM Stadium on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

Oxford have not won in eight games to see themselves only seven points above the relegation zone.

While the Tigers won against Plymouth Argyle before picking up a point from play off chasing Bristol City on Saturday to get to just two points shy of the U's.

Though Oxford won the reverse fixture 1-0 in November, this will be the first meeting under new bosses Gary Rowett (Oxford) and Ruben Selles (Hull) this season.

• Hull City are unbeaten across their last eight home league games against Oxford United (W5 D3), winning their last home fixture against the U's in March 2021 2-0 in League One.

• After winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in November, Oxford United will be looking to record a first league double over Hull City since the 1988-89 season.

• After beating Plymouth Argyle 2-0, Hull are looking to win successive home league games for the first time since November 2023 (run of 3).

• Oxford have failed to win, or score, in their last two midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (D1 L1), having won three of their previous four matches prior.

• Hull are winless in their last eight Championship games against newly promoted sides (D4 L4) since a 4-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday in August 2023.

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Hull City boss Ruben Selles said midfielder Eliot Matazo has undergone successful surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Speaking after his side's 1-1 draw at Bristol City on Saturday, Selles was upbeat about the operation but confirmed the midfielder will be unavailable for selection until the end of the season.

"He had his operation on Thursday afternoon and evening - the operation has gone really well," Selles told BBC Radio Humberside.

"He is in Amsterdam, where we plan for him to have the first part of his rehab."

Matazo moved to the MKM Stadium in the winter transfer window from Monaco and suffered the injury just 20 minutes into last month's defeat at Cardiff City.

"I think it is a period until the end of the season he is going to be there [in rehab], so probably the beginning of pre-season," Selles replied when probed on Matazo's expected return date.

Hull City striker Joao Pedro had a brief but very eventful afternoon of Championship action against Bristol City.

The 32-year-old played a key role in the Tigers' dominant start at Ashton Gate, and deservedly put them ahead on 13 minutes.

But his joy was short-lived...

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Image source, Rex Features

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Defender Sean McLoughlin wants Hull City to show they are too good for the lower reaches of the Championship in their final 11 games of the season.

The 28-year-old - deployed at left-back of late by Ruben Selles - helped set up the opening goal as the Tigers beat Plymouth Argyle 2-0 on Tuesday to end a six-match winless streak at home in all competitions.

"Obviously, we haven't been great at home this season, it's been frustrating for everybody, for us, for the fans," McLoughlin told BBC Radio Humberside:

"It was important that we got that win, a clean sheet and a good performance.

"It was a game we knew going into that it was a massive one we needed to win. It puts a bit of breathing space between us and the bottom three. The main thing for us is kicking on and following that result up."

The Tigers took one point from their final two games last season to finish seventh and miss the play-offs, leading to Liam Rosenior's departure and a turbulent campaign in the lower reaches of the table this term.

"We need to just consistently train well, keep our minds focused, and the results will come," McLoughlin said.

"We've had some massive results in recent weeks, obviously some disappointing ones too, but I think people can see the quality is there.

"We showed the other night we shouldn't be down that end of the table. The reality is we are there."

He added: "It's obviously been a frustrating season for everybody – especially coming off the back of last season. It's not somewhere we want to be, the position we find ourselves in, but that's the Championship, teams fluctuate.

"Consistency is the main thing. You can see what one good result does to the table.

"If we can follow that up with another three points we'll start to put a bit of daylight between us and the teams below. If we can be consistent until the end of the season I think we'll finish in a good place."

Hull City will be boosted by the return of midfielder Matt Crooks for their visit to Bristol City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The 31-year-old has started five games since joining in January from US side Real Salt Lake, but missed out on last week's win against Plymouth Argyle with a facial injury.

Crooks has scored twice in his eight appearances for the Tigers, his first coming six minutes into their 3-0 victory over promotion-chasing Sheffield United in January.

"We don't make excuses but Crooks has been a very important player for us since he arrived," Tigers boss Ruben Selles told BBC Radio Humberside.

"It's not only his presence, it's also the way that he does things. Now we are fortunate that we have a group of players working in the same direction."

The trip to Ashton Gate could also mark a 250th club appearance for former Robins midfielder Kasey Palmer, who spent three-and-a-half years in the West Country before moving on to Coventry and then Hull.

"I think Kasey is very experienced at this level," Selles said. "He knows British football much better than I do and he knows how to play those moments.

"To have a player with those characteristics in our squad for the last two months is massive.

"That's as massive as having a player like Matt Crooks."

Three precious points are up for grabs for two teams fighting different Championship battles as Hull City head to Bristol City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Robins are seeking a fourth win in five league games and lie seventh, outside the play-off spots on goal difference alone, going into the weekend.

The Tigers picked-up a useful 2-0 win over Plymouth at home on Tuesday night to open-up a five point gap over the relegation places, which is effectively six given their superior goal difference over the bottom-three.

• Bristol City have lost just one of their past 13 league games against Hull City (W7 D5), a 2-1 defeat in July 2022.

• Hull City have won just one of their past 26 away league games against Bristol City since 1965 (D6 L19), with the exception coming in a 2-1 win in October 2012.

• Bristol City have won seven of their past nine league games at Ashton Gate (D1 L1). They have won 53% of their home games this season (9/17), their best ratio in a season since 2014-15 (70%, 16/23).

• Hull's eight away league games under Ruben Selles have seen them win four and lose four. All four victories have come to nil, with the Tigers losing their past seven away games when they've conceded.

• George Earthy's brace against Middlesbrough gave Bristol City a 2-1 win in their last game at Ashton Gate. He was the youngest player (20 years, 169 days) to score twice in a Championship game for the Robins since Tammy Abraham in April 2017 versus Wolves (19 years, 188 days).

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Hull City head coach Ruben Selles praised his side's bravery and patience following the 2-0 win over fellow Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle.

Hull dominated the first half without creating many chances, but they made their dominance count after the interval.

"We looked to perform in the proper way and we did the things we wanted to do in the game today," the Spaniard told BBC Radio Humberside.

"One of the key things was to be brave, to get the tempo high, and I am pleased everyone got on board.

"I was not worried about the first 45 minutes - you cannot expect teams in our position right now to be perfect. I expected the game they prepared for us, but we controlled the game.

"The early goal in the second half helped. When you score the first goal it is massive. It gave us more space but we had to carry on playing with intensity."

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Ruben Selles wants Hull City fans to create an 'uncomfortable' atmosphere for visiting teams as the Tigers try to preserve their Championship status.

Fourth-bottom City welcome second-bottom Plymouth, three points behind, to the MKM Stadium on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) aiming to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Cardiff seven days prior.

Argyle remain winless on the road this season and have scored only six goals on their travels while Selles' side have failed to take three points in six home games in all competitions since beating Swansea on 21 December.

Selles told BBC Radio Humberside, external "everyone was hurt by the result" against Cardiff but said: "We are ready for tomorrow.

"They have been more solid and stable since the new coach (Miron Muslic) arrived.

"They'll come trying to get their first victory of the season away from home as we will try to get a victory in front of our fans, we have not done that in a couple of months.

"It would be good for us to get one and then move forward. We need a lot of support from our fans. We want people to create an environment where people feel really uncomfortable to come and play in our stadium."

Selles said he hoped Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry might return from a knee injury before the end of the campaign after limping off at Sunderland on 22 February.

Sean McLoughlin is available after a back injury which forced him off against Cardiff while Kasey Palmer is likely to feature on the bench. Steven Alzate is also selectable though Matt Crooks suffered a facial injury in training and might miss out.

Belgian midfielder Eliot Matazo will however be sidelined until next season with an ACL injury sustained against Cardiff which Selles said was "very unfortunate".

"He was potentially one of the best players on the pitch against Sunderland and Cardiff," Selles added. "He was finding his football here with us, he was comfortable in playing the game in the style and the way we want.

"He'll be out for part of the beginning of next season. It's bad news for us."

Hull City welcome Plymouth Argyle to the MKM on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) for a game with big implications at the foot of the Championship.

After their FA Cup adventure ended at Man City on Saturday, the Pilgrims find themselves second-bottom, three points behind the fourth-bottom Tigers, albeit with a far inferior goal difference.

A win for City could take them up to 19th, five points clear of the relegation zone.

• Hull City have won only one of their past seven meetings with Plymouth Argyle in the Championship (D2 L4), failing to win each of their last three (D2 L1) since a 1-0 away victory in February 2008.

• Plymouth Argyle are unbeaten in their past three league games against Hull City (W1 D2) and could avoid defeat in four straight meetings with the Tigers for the first time since doing so across the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons (W1 D3).

• Hull City have won the fewest points at home in the Championship this season (13 – W2 D7 L8), failing to win each of their five home league matches in 2025 (D2 L3), their longest winless start to a calendar year at the MKM Stadium since 2020 (P7 D1 L6).

• Plymouth Argyle are the only team in England's top four tiers yet to win an away game this season (D5 L12); they are the eighth Championship side to fail to win each of their first 17 away matches of a campaign, with each of the previous seven suffering relegation.

• Since his first Hull start in mid-January, Joe Gelhardt has had the most shots for the Tigers in the Championship (15) as well as created the joint-most chances (7 – level with Eliot Matazo).

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Hull City boss Ruben Selles says he and his players need to "feel the pain" of the disappointing 1-0 loss to relegation rivals Cardiff City.

The Tigers fell to defeat in south Wales in a game between two sides fighting to avoid the drop, leaving them three points above the bottom three.

"I think today and tomorrow are some moments for everyone to reflect on how we can do things better and how disappointed we are because we, as a team, are very disappointed," Selles told BBC Radio Humberside.

"I will let that feeling be a little bit in the next couple of days. We will address it as a team and we will move forward trying to beat the next opponent - that's how we're going to do it."

Hull welcome 22nd-placed Plymouth Argyle next Tuesday for another encounter with a team embroiled in the scrap to stay up.

But they will be without Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry for much of the rest of the season after the 21-year-old returned to his parent club to undergo rehabilitation following a knee injury he picked up in the 1-0 win at Sunderland.

"Things happen in football, we are not the only team that's going to happen to," Selles added.

"But we brought in Louie with the idea to be a player that will make the difference for us, so it's a big blow. We will manage as we always do."

Listen to Ruben Selles' post-match interview on BBC Sounds.