Relegation-threatened Hull City are set to welcome Queens Park Rangers to the MKM Stadium on Tuesday in their 22nd Championship game of the season.
The Tigers are fourth last in 21st place with 26 points but beat Millwall 1-0 on Saturday, whereas QPR are 12th with 35 points and defeated Plymouth Argyle 1-0 on January 18.
Match preview
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Hull created few opportunities of real note against Millwall and only won thanks to Jake Cooper's own goal, though they did prevent their opponents from producing a single big chance.
Boss Ruben Selles has only been in charge for eight Championship matches but has managed to win three and draw two, earning more points than his team had in their prior 13 league outings.
The Tigers did beat QPR 3-1 in the reverse fixture on October 1, a match in which performed excellently in the second half, creating two big chances while not facing one themselves.
Selles's side have scored 26 goals and conceded 36 times in the second tier, and these records make them the division's fourth-worst offensive and 11th-worst defensive club.
Hull's form at home is mixed considering they have drawn two, lost one and won one of their last four league outings at the MKM Stadium.
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As for QPR, they were utterly dominant against Plymouth given they only faced one shot on target while producing nearly three xG, six big chances and 11 shots from inside the box.
Head coach Marti Cifuentes will have been pleased that his side kept a clean sheet for the first time in eight matches, bouncing back from their 6-2 defeat at the hands of Leicester City in the FA Cup on January 11.
QPR are six points from sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion, who occupy the league's final promotion playoff spot, though their goal difference of minus four is the worst in the top 14.
The Rangers are in fine form, with the club having triumphed in their last three fixtures in the Championship, and they have won seven, drawn three and lost just one of their last 11 in the division.
No other team has earned more points in their last four league outings than Cifuentes's team, though they have only won once in their past five Championship games on the road, drawing three times in that period.
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Team News
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Hull will be without forwards Mohamed Belloumi and Dogukan Sinik, so it would not be surprising if Abu Kamara, Joao Pedro Galvao and Mason Burstow started in attack.
Cody Drameh, Finley Burns, Alfie Jones and Sean McLoughlin are likely to be selected to play in a back four in front of goalkeeper Carl Rushworth considering defenders Charlie Hughes and Lewie Coyle are not available.
Midfielders Kasey Palmer and Liam Millar will not be in the matchday squad, and this could mean that Regan Slater, Steven Alzate and Gustavo Puerta appear as a trio in the centre of the pitch.
QPR have fewer injury concerns but will still have to cope without defenders Liam Morrison and Steve Cook, so expect Jimmy Dunne, Ronnie Edwards, Morgan Fox and Kenneth Paal to shield goalkeeper Paul Nardi.
Midfielders Karamoko Dembele and Lucas Andersen have also been ruled out, and their absences could lead Cifuentes to start a double pivot consisting of Jonathan Varane and Sam Field.
Paul Smyth, Kieran Morgan and Ilias Chair started behind striker Michael Frey last time out against Plymouth, and the visitors may use the same forward line given Zan Celar is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Rushworth; Drameh, Burns, Jones, McLoughlin; Slater, Alzate, Puerta; Kamara, Galvao, Burstow
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Nardi; Dunne, Edwards, Fox, Paal; Varane, Field; Smyth, Morgan, Chair; Frey
We say: Hull City 1-2 Queens Park Rangers
Hull have at least been competitive under Selles so far, and they are likely to pose a serious challenge to QPR on Tuesday.
Having said that, the visitors should be considered favourites given their strong form and the fact they already beat their hosts earlier this campaign.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
