Hull City

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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...

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

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.

There's plenty at stake at the foot of the table as Cardiff welcome fellow strugglers Hull City on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT).

The Bluebirds lie 21st, one place and three points above the relegation zone, and behind the Tigers on goal difference alone - with the three sides below them having each played a game more.

The hosts are unbeaten in five home matches dating back to 21 December, though have picked up just two points from their past four Championship games, while the visitors are seeking to follow-up their eye-catching 1-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday.

• Cardiff City have lost each of their past seven league games against Hull City since a 3-0 win in July 2020. Over that stint, the Bluebirds have conceded 17 goals in total.

• Hull City have won each of their past three away league games against Cardiff City, and will be looking to win four in succession for the first time in the EFL.

• Cardiff are unbeaten in their past five home league games (W2 D3); the Bluebirds had lost four in a row at home in the Championship before this.

• Hull have lost each of their past four midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games, last losing more in succession from March 2013 to May 2014 (run of 10).

• Hull have won each of their past three Championship games against Welsh clubs, including two against Cardiff (3-1 in April 2024, 4-1 in September 2024). The Tigers last won four league games in a row versus Welsh opposition in March 2017.

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Ruben Selles urged his Hull City team to build on their big win at Sunderland and not slip back into inconsistency.

The Tigers head coach told BBC Radio Humberside: "It was a good performance from the team against a really good opponent away from home.

"It's always difficult - they have pace and are energetic but the team showed character in possession and in the last 10 minutes when we had to defend the box we did it properly.

"I'm happy but I just put it into the dressing room now that we cannot allow ourselves one of those moments where we win one game and then don't perform in the way that we should.

"It's three days [until Cardiff away] so we need to recover and be ready to go and get three points.

"It's important against a really good opponent that you try to apply the pressure as high as possible and keep them away from your goal and win balls for your own transition [and we did that well]."

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Hull City head coach Ruben Selles has played down the significance of a video appearing to show captain Lewie Coyle swearing at fans.

Coyle has been subjected to criticism and was involved in an incident during the draw with Norwich City last weekend.

But Selles says it was a "moment of passion" and called on fans to back Coyle.

"We talked about it," Selles told BBC Radio Humberside.

"I have seen the video. It is a moment passion and reaction. It is not a big thing. It is the team that is not in the best moment, not one player.

"I can understand the frustrations of the fans and we have our own frustrations. I don't see the point in looking at it in terms of only one player, especially somebody who has been here for that long, giving so much to the club.

"I don't pay attention. I don't think it has impacted him."

The Tigers will go into Saturday's match against promotion-chasing Sunderland just a place and a point above the relegation zone, but Selles is backing his team to stay up.

"I haven't done the maths to see how many points are needed. I know if I do my job and we win our games, we'll be fine," he said.

"We are the ones who need to make it happen. The most important thing is to win the next game."

How will Sunderland react after suffering late heartbreak against Leeds on Monday? They were on course to close the gap on the league leaders until Pascal Struijk's late double saw them suffer a 2-1 defeat at Elland Road.

But it's back to the Stadium of Light for the fourth-placed Black Cats who could reduce the deficit between themselves and second-placed Sheffield United to five points with a win. The Blades welcome Leeds to Bramall Lane on Monday.

Hull go into this off the back of no wins in their past three games but head coach Ruben Selles said his side have to be happy with the 1-1 draw against Norwich, last Saturday.

Relegation-threatened Tigers are just above the drop zone in 21st with one point separating them and Derby.

• Sunderland have lost just one of their last 12 league games against Hull City (W5 D6), though that sole defeat came in this exact fixture last season (1-0).

• Hull City are unbeaten across their last three away league games against Sunderland (W1 D2), since a 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light in January 2018.

• Sunderland suffered only their fifth league defeat of the season last time out to Leeds in a 2-1 loss at Elland Road. It was only their second loss of the season when scoring first, along with their 3-2 defeat at Plymouth in September.

• Since his first Championship start for Hull on 21 January, Joe Gelhardt leads all his teammates for shots (13), dribbles (23), duels won (30), ball carry distance (708.7m), expected goals (1.2) and he has created the joint most chances in open play (5).

• Sunderland's Wilson Isidor has scored or assisted in each of his last five Championship appearances (4 goals, 1 assist). He is yet to score more than once in a game this season, with his 12 goals the most by a Black Cats player in a league season without doing so since David Connolly netted 13 in 2006-07.