Hull City head to Manchester United in bid to give first team players valuable minutes

The Tigers have a training game to help get some of their players valuable minutes

Hull City will send at least first-team players to Manchester United’s training ground on Monday for a game against the Red Devils’ Under-21 side.

The two clubs have arranged a behind-closed-doors friendly at United’s Carrington training ground in a bid to give a host of first-team players valuable minutes, after last Tuesday’s game with Championship side Lincoln City was cancelled.

Jakirovic has confirmed the likes of Joe Gelhardt and Christos Mouzakitis will be part of the group that travels across the M62 to take on United.

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Lucas Gourna-Douath is fit again after missing games with Everton and Fulham, but wasn’t involved on Sunday as the Tigers drew 1-1 with Brentford at the MKM Stadium.

Gelhardt came off the bench in the closing stages and probably should have won it, with his strike from Mohamed-Ali Cho’s pass going just wide of the post. They’ll be joined by Robinio Vaz, Jens Hjerto-Dahl and Paddy McNair, who will be back at the club where he used to play.

“Six players will go and play,” the Croatian told Hull Live. “Some players asked themselves if they could go and play. Paddy, Christos, Gourna, Jens, Joe Gelhardt, and Vaz, which is very good. We have to use this opportunity, and thank you to our Under-21 team for helping us with that.”

While those players are playing in Manchester, City will welcome back Nobel Mendy and Jack Butland to full training with the pair expected to be in the squad against Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon.

Tim Iroegnbunam was handed a first start on Sunday, with Morita coming off the bench in the second half. Ryan Giles and Elliot Stroud were also brought back into the starting XI at the expense of Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Sorba Thomas, and Matt Crooks.

Iroegbunam’s start came at the expense of Matt Crooks, who was one of three changes to the side beaten at Fulham. Jakirovic said after that game that few players could complain if they were dropped, and he said nobody did.

“Come on, who will complain? You think somebody will complain?” he questioned. “You know how you played, if you watch. You are now waiting for another opportunity. I need every player here. Just one or two injuries, and everything is going to change. In December, we have a lot of games, every three or four days, so everyone will get the chance. I think the substitutions also gave us something.

“Maybe Morita, you see, it’s been a long time since he last played, and he’s not a robot, he’s a human being. You need time, you need match fitness, you need rhythm to catch the rhythm. But OK, this is my problem, and I will try to solve this.

“The three players did well. Tim has been with us for two weeks already, so he has now consistency with training sessions because unfortunately, he had a problem after Newcastle with his MCL. The left side is good. We have speed there after, especially with Stroud at left wing-back, and then with Mohamed-Ali Cho, it’s even more speed, so I’m happy with it.”

The Tigers, meanwhile, have been handed a boost with the news that striker Ilias Ansah’s latest scan has come back with a positive outcome, meaning he can continue his recovery with a view to returning to full training in around six weeks.