City play the first of four consecutive Championship home games
Barry Cooper Hull City correspondent
09:00, 03 Feb 2026
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Hull City can make it five straight wins on Tuesday night (Image: Alex Dodd/Shutterstock)
Sergej Jakirovic's squad will be boosted by the return of Ryan Giles when they host Watford in their re-arranged Championship meeting on Tuesday night.
Giles hasn't played since late December when he limped out of the win at former club Middlesbrough with a hamstring injury after just five minutes.
Since then, Akin Famewo has deputised well, though he's a doubt for the visit of managerless Watford with a slight knee problem, which could see a rare start for Matty Jacob.
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While City were 1-0 winners at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon, the Tigers looked jaded throughout and were sloppy with the ball, before Lewis Koumas stepped off the bench to hammer home the winner after being teed up by fellow substitute Kyle Joseph.
Jakirovic will almost certainly make changes with no shortage of options at his disposal, despite being unable to call upon Matt Crooks, Semi Ajayi, Mo Belloumi and Eliot Matazo.
Toby Collyer is pushing for a place in the squad, but this game may come too soon and he's expected to be in the squad that hosts Bristol City on Saturday.
The departure of Joel Ndala still presents the manager with a selection dilemma moving forwards post Bristol City. Only five loan players can be named in the squad, and the Tigers have six.
Hirakawa can't play against his parent club so could well start against Watford, while Kieran Dowell and Koumas are both pushing for starts, and so too, Joseph, who found himself benched at Ewood Park before coming on to have an impact.
In the middle, John Lundstram looked to be struggling as he continues his comeback from a knee injury, operating alongside Regan Slater with Amir Hadziahmetovic pushing further forward. That might be an area the manager looks to freshen up again with so many games coming in February.
City's predicted starting XI: Pandur, Jacob, Hughes, Egan, Coyle, Slater, Amir, Joseph, Hirakawa, McBurnie, Gelhardt.
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