Separated only by goal difference at the bottom end of the Championship table, Hull City and Stoke City will meet in an important contest at the MKM Stadium on Saturday.
The two sides each lead the relegation zone by two points, with the hosts having climbed out of the bottom three thanks to an upturn in form.
Match preview
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Hull City head into the weekend aiming to continue a climb away from the Championship relegation zone, having improved their standing under the management of Ruben Selles in recent weeks.
Selles arrived at the MKM Stadium in early December with Hull sat on just 15 points from their first 19 Championship outings, and they remained in the bottom three having earned seven more points from their first six games under the new boss.
The Tigers appear to have turned a corner since, firstly coming from behind to take a point from a 3-3 draw with league leaders Leeds United thanks to Abu Kamara's brace and a Joao Pedro goal, before visiting Millwall and sixth notch in their wins column for the campaign as a Jake Cooper own goal made the only difference at the Den.
Then on the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers, worsening the division's weakest home record with the Humber outfit having only managed 12 points from 15 attempts at the MKM Stadium, they most recently faced a tough trip to promotion-chasing Sheffield United and prevailed in a statement 3-0 victory, as Matt Crooks opened the scoring early on and Matty Jacobs added a second before a late Harrison Burrows own goal sealed the points.
That result at Bramall Lane saw Hull City leap out of the drop zone and up to 19th spot in England's second tier, but still only leading 22nd-placed Derby County by two points and with a need to correct their poor form on home turf, they will be keen to extend an improved run and make it back-to-back league wins for the first time since the beginning of October.
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In their way stand a visiting side who will bid to move back above the Tigers and extend their own lead over the bottom three on Saturday.
Stoke City also underwent a managerial change around the turn of the year, as Mark Robins arrived when they sat on 26 points from 25 league outings.
He is yet to inspire a real turnaround for the Potters in England's second tier, though, with his only victory coming away at Sunderland in the FA Cup, while his first four Championship games in charge have produced three draws and a defeat, across which the Staffordshire side have scored just two goals.
Following draws with Plymouth Argyle and West Bromwich Albion and an away defeat to fellow strugglers Portsmouth, Robins's men most recently hosted Oxford United last weekend and again came away with a share of the spoils as the contest ended goalless.
Now sitting 20th in the Championship and only two points above the drop zone, having also only managed 10 points from their 14 league games on the road thus far, Stoke City will now hope to taste league victory for the first time under Robins and build on their cushion in the coming weeks.
Team News
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Ruben Selles may opt to field an unchanged Hull City starting XI from last Friday's 3-0 beating of Sheffield United, with Oscar Zambrano remaining suspended and Mohamed Belloumi, Liam Millar, Kasey Palmer, Charlie Hughes and Lewie Coyle confined to the treatment room.
New arrival Louie Barry, who arrived on loan from Aston Villa on Wednesday after netting 15 League One goals for Stockport County in the first half of the campaign, will hope to earn a debut in attack, but he may have to settle for a substitute appearance if Abu Kamara, Kyle Joseph and Joe Gelhardt continue in a front three.
Elsewhere, fellow January arrival Matt Crooks will offer further attacking support from the midfield, having opened his account for the Tigers at Bramall Lane, while Regan Slater and Steven Alzate should also continue in the engine room.
Stoke City continue to contend with a long injury list of their own, with Ben Wilmot, Eric Bocat, Sol Sidibe, Jordan Thompson, Million Manhoef and Sam Gallagher sidelined ahead of the weekend's trip.
Since his return from a loan spell with Walsall, for whom he notched up 15 goals and five assists in 22 League Two games in the first half of the season, Nathan Lowe has led the Potters' line for two of the last three outings, but he has new competition in the form of Ali Al-Hamadi, who will hope to earn a debut after arriving on loan from Ipswich Town.
Lewis Baker, who returned from his own loan spell away with Blackburn Rovers, should continue alongside Wouter Burger in the middle, while Bae Junho will aim to return to the starting XI in support of a lone striker.
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Pandur; Drameh, Burns, Jones, McLoughlin; Alzate, Slater, Crooks; Kamara, Joseph, Gelhardt
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Tchamadeu, Phillips, Rose, Stevens; Baker, Burger; Koumas, Moran, Junho; Al-Hamadi
We say: Hull City 2-1 Stoke City
Between Selles and Robins, it is the former who has made a better impact on his new side thus far, and with momentum growing in their climb away from the bottom three, we back Hull City to triumph again on home turf.
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Sam Varley
