The Tigers face the Premier League outfit on Friday under the MKM Stadium lights
Barry Cooper Hull City correspondent
15:39, 12 Feb 2026
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Ivor Pandur comes up against his former manager in the FA Cup (Image: Tony King/Getty Images)
Hull City welcome Chelsea to the MKM Stadium on Friday night in their eagerly anticipated FA Cup fourth round tie in front of a watching television audience.
Sergej Jakirovic's Championship promotion hopefuls host the Blues, looking to cause a shock and secure a safe passage through to round five for the first time in nine years, when they were also knocked out by Chelsea.
The game, which is being broadcast on both BBC and TNT Sports, also sees former Tigers boss Liam Rosenior return to the MKM Stadium for the first time since leaving almost two years ago.
In the build-up to the game, players from the Tigers' dressing room have been giving their views on the big game, along with those who played under Rosenior during his spell at the club.
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Here's a look at what City's players have been saying to Hull Live ahead of the big game
Ivor Pandur
"It's a privilege, really, to play those kinds of games and to be involved because it's one of the biggest teams in the world. You have a chance to show what you are capable of, and we are playing at home with our fans.
"I think it's a great opportunity for everybody to show that we are capable of great things. Obviously, we don't need to speak about how tough the opposition is and everything.
"It's a good story, I think, also for English football watching with Liam being here, and it's a good moment for us. One hundred per cent (it's a good test against teams we want to play next season) because if that's our goal. If you want to achieve it, we need to show it against the biggest teams there are because that's the reality.
"No (not surprised he's at Chelsea), because he's an exceptional coach, to be honest, his ideas and everything he did in a short period I was here, I really liked, and you can see how much he lives for football and how much he thinks to improve his team, the playing style and everything. I think he's a great, great coach. I'm not surprised that he's at Chelsea. I think it was a matter of moments.
"One hundred per cent (he had a big impact on the club). Since he took over, I think the team was playing one of the best styles of football in the country. The only thing missing was the play-offs or fighting for promotion, but they were always close. I really enjoyed watching that type of football."
Matty Jacob
"I can't wait for the atmosphere. I'm sure the Hull fans will get right behind us, and hopefully we can give them a good game. We'll certainly give it to them and see what they've got. I can't see us changing too much. We'll probably try to be hard to beat and take chances when they come our way.
"He's a great coach and obviously the Strasbourg and Chelsea links, you sort of thought when he got the Strasbourg job, it might be a stepping stone for him, and it's worked out that way, so good luck to him. Apart from Friday."
Paddy McNair
"It's going to be a tough game. They've got a lot of world-class players, and they've got a great squad, so it's gonna be a good challenge. As a player, that's the challenge that you want, so I think it'll be a good test of where we're at against those big teams."
Regan Slater
"It'll be a good test, a familiar face for some people, but it'll be a good test for us to see what we're up against, really, against a very good side.
"The lads will be looking forward to it. I think for me personally, I've never played against a big team in the cups, just how the ties have fell, so it'll be a great test to go up against some of the best players in the world.
"You couldn't write it, to be fair. I think there are probably five of us (still here who played under him). Maybe me, skip (Lewie Coyle), Ivor (Pandur), Matty Jacob and Gilo (Ryan Giles), I don't think anyone else is there.
"I enjoyed my time working under him, and he's gone on to do very well for himself. No matter who you're playing, we're at home, and we've got to be looking to win that game."
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Lewie Coyle
"It's come at the perfect time. It's a long shot, it's a big ask. They're an incredible side, world-class players, all the rest of it, but of course, you talk about momentum there, we've had a draw and a defeat in our last couple of results. We want to bounce back and there's a chance to do that.
"It's a football match on Friday for us to try and go and win. OK, it's a big ask. I get that, but then momentum's a big thing; we've had a lot of momentum recently, so it's important that we get back to that in some way, and we want that to come on Friday. If not, then it shifts to the next league game.
"There's more interest, there's more of a story behind it with Liam coming back. I've said it before, I'm really, really pleased for him, for Justin (Walker) to go on and land a job at such a fantastic football club, such a big football club in Chelsea.
"It'll be nice to see familiar faces during the game, and when the game's on, I'm sure he'll (Rosenior) want nothing more than to get one over on us, and of course, for us lads and the lads that have played under him, it's always nice to get one back over on them. It'll be an interesting match and one I'm certainly looking forward to."
Football has a funny way of creating such stories in creating this tie, and Coyle says Rosenior's impact is still being felt a couple of years on from his departure.
"It does. I think that's life in general. I think little situations always play out where things come back around full circle, so I'm sure us as a football club and certainly Liam, when the draw got announced, I think there will have been two happy parties for sure.
"When Liam came into the football club, we were struggling. We were down the bottom end of the table. I believe his first game was Millwall away (0-0 draw), if I remember correctly, and again, that was a time we were in a bad spot. He completely transformed what type of team we were in that moment.
"Even that initial season, he shifted the mindset of saying we're not just surviving, we're going to try and get as close as we can to the top end of the table.
"He changed the full culture of the football club in quite a short period, which left a lasting impression on me of how he wanted to take this club to places.
"We came up short and didn't finish in the play-offs the following season. He did a lot for the team, at the time in the club, and again, I think since then we've been on a steady upwards trajectory, obviously last year didn't go to plan, but again, staying up has given the platform for us to be in this position that we are now."
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