‘We didn’t have any subs’: McCann reveals Covid impact on City squad

Grant McCann. Picture credit: Hull City

Hull City had up to 20 players ruled out by Covid for their postponed Boxing Day clash against Blackburn, and faced going into the game with an empty subs’ bench, boss Grant McCann has revealed.

The club was criticised for its late decision to call off the game at the MKM Stadium on December 26, with the announcement coming just before 1pm on the day - too late to stop many Rovers fans setting off on their journey from Lancashire.

The Tigers also had to call off their match at Sheffield United on December 29th due to a lack of available players, but managed to make this announcement the day before.

Speaking at a press conference today ahead of City’s match at Blackpool tomorrow, McCann said of the situation preventing the Boxing Day fixture: “We were obviously really disappointed to not play the game on Boxing Day.

“We did speak to the EFL [English Football League] five days prior to the game to tell them that the situation was deteriorating - I think we ended up with something like 19 or 20 cases in the squad.

“So it was deteriorating and we did speak to them every single day right up until Christmas Day, and then even on Boxing morning, to tell them that we didn’t have the numbers to fulfil the game.”

Because the under-23 players were all out on loan, City were having to contemplate raiding their under-18s squad in an attempt to try to get the game on.

McCann said: “I even - to tell you how much we wanted the game on on Boxing Day - I phoned a young under-18 player to get his mum and dad to drive him back down on Boxing Day.

“I spoke to them on Christmas Day, and made his Christmas Day, for the game to be called off on Boxing Day. That’s how bad it got for us.”

McCann said the situation had got “worse and worse”, and added: “It got to a stage where we couldn’t fill the bench. We couldn’t go into a game with no subs - it’s just ridiculous.”

The Tigers boss was among those struck down by the virus. Asked what it’s impact had been on him personally, he said: “It affected me. For the first four or five days I didn’t feel great.”

City have welcomed back six players who had been sidelined by Covid, but will still be missing “seven or eight” players for the visit to Bloomfield Road on New Year’s Day, McCann said.

He was, however, confident the fixture would go ahead.

Asked to reflect on the previous 12 months, which saw City promoted to the Sky Bet Championship as League One Champions, McCann said it had been an “amazing year”.

He said winning the title - the club’s first in 55 years, had made it “probably one of the best years I’ve had in football”.

Tomorrow’s visit to Blackpool will be City’s first outing since a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest ended a six-match unbeaten run.

McCann said he has since received an apology from the “head of referees” over the awarding of a penalty that got Forest back into the game after City had been leading.

He said: “I felt the penalty decision obviously swung the momentum in the game, and I’ve since had an apology from the head of the referees over it, and the referee knows he’s made a real blunder.”

The Tigers lie in 19th place with 23 points from 23 matches. The Seasiders are 13th, with 30 points from 25 matches.