Hull City line-up to face Portsmouth as Tim Walter ignores selection first after Slater decision The Tigers know the pressure is on to secure a rare home victory.
Tim Walter might well opt to name an unchanged team for the first time this season when Hull City host bottom side Portsmouth on Saturday.
Walter has a growing injury list with Liam Millar the latest to be added to the likes of Carl Rushworth, Steven Alzate and Marvin Mehlem, though the Canadian international’s prognosis is much more severe given he’s now out for the remainder of the season.
Abu Kamara came in for the stricken Millar at Derby County last weekend and performed well, though he will feel he should have done better with a glorious first half opening when he blazed over from close range.
Mohamed Belloumi seems to have nailed down the right flank berth but you do feel the left side is one where things could change on a regular basis, with Ryan Longman coming back from injury, and Dogukan Sinik hoping to emerge from the footballing wilderness and Will Jarvis eyeing a chance.
In midfield, an area Walter has chopped and changed throughout the opening 12 games, things have settled down in the last couple of weeks with Xavier Simons and Gustavo Puerta forming a promising partnership. Simons, in particular, has two goals in his last two games and it seems unthinkable just now that he would lose his place, while his Colombian partner has grown with three games in a week.
Regan Slater, who made his 150th Tigers appearance at Pride Park, could be most at risk of losing his place, after Walter said he hauled him off having not been overly impressed with his display while up front, Chris Bedia will likely keep his place above Joao Pedro and Mason Burstow.
At the back, City’s defensive unit looks relatively set for now with Cody Drameh impressing on the left side of the back four, though, that said, perhaps Walter might be keen to bring back Ryan Giles against a side having all sorts of problems.
City’s predicted starting XI: Pandur, Drameh, Hughes, Jones, Coyle ©, Puerta, Simons, Slater, Kamara, Belloumi, Bedia.
