Captain Coyle returns for huge clash against Sheffield United

RETURN TO ACTION: Captain Lewie Coyle. Picture by Hull City

By Simon Bristow

Hull City will have Captain Lewie Coyle back for the Yorkshire derby against Sheffield United on Sunday, in a fixture that is expected to attract the biggest home crowd since the Tigers were in the Premier League five years ago.

New owner Acun Ilıcalı, who continues to endear himself to supporters, has called for an attendance of more than 20,000 - a threshold that is expected to be met as excitement continues to build around the MKM Stadium, and with the visitors, as well as being old rivals, currently topping the table in the Sky Bet Championship.

Hull-born Coyle missed the midweek 3-1 defeat at QPR but will return for the visit of the Blades, manager Shota Arveladze confirmed in an online press conference today.

PROSPECT: Xavier Simons, who has joined on loan from Chelsea. Picture by Hull City

That defeat left City in 11th place in the table, with 11 points from the opening seven matches. Paul Heckingbottom’s Blades lead the division with 14 points from the same number of games and are expected to be among the challengers for a return to the top flight.

“Yes,” Arveladze responded when asked if Coyle would be back in action, but he could not be sure whether Sunday’s match would also see the return of highly effective new signings Ozan Tufan and Jean Michaël Seri. “I don’t know,” he said, asked about those two. “We will have another day tomorrow. They want to play, which is a good sign, but I want them to be fit because [we have] so much games. It’s incredible, from the 30th of July to the 30th of August, I see the others have played like three games, four games - we’ve played eight.”

Asked if he expected his side to rise to the occasion on Sunday, Arveladze said: “The home atmosphere, supporters, will be the extra energy we need, and then see how the boys also are going to react [after the loss at QPR] and I’m expecting, definitely, that reaction.”

The Tigers boss said of Sunday’s opponents: “We have to give them a lot of credit. I’ve seen their last five or six games. They are number one [top], I know why they are there. They are a good team, a good solid team, many boys probably two or three years playing together. A good mix and good new signings which fit them very well.”

EXPERIENCE: Dimitrios Pelkas, who has joined on season-long loan from Fenerbahçe. Picture by Hull City

Few Championship clubs, however, have as many new players as City, who have welcomed 16 new faces since Arveladze began overhauling the squad he inherited from previous manager Grant McCann.

Four of those arrived on transfer deadline day yesterday, including Mali international Adama Traoré, who is injured, attacking midfielder Dimitrios Pelkas on a season-long loan from Turkish Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe, and two further loan signings in midfielders Xavier Simons and Harvey Vale from Premier League giants Chelsea.

Of the loanees, Vale is perhaps the most eye-catching, being England Under-19s Captain and Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Year last season.

Also joining City last week was experienced defender Cyrus Christie, 29, who signed a two-year deal after arriving on a free transfer.

KEEN TO IMPRESS: New signing Cyrus Christie. Picture by Hull City

Christie, who has 30 caps for the Republic of Ireland, said he was attracted by the club because it was “exciting times” at City. He also said he was not here “just to make up the numbers” and relished the competition for a first-team place.

He said: “It’s definitely healthy competition and we are surrounded by many good players, and everyone knows that there’s a lot of people fighting for that shirt. It’s great to have that squad depth as well because it’s a gruelling season; you know, Saturday’s, Tuesdays, and with the World Cup as well, the games are going to come around thick and fast so we are going to need everyone.”

He added “I just have to put myself in the best possible position to get myself out there and show the people of Hull my ability and what I’m capable of.”