Hull City manager Steve Bruce has claimed that his side's chances of returning to the Premier League at the first attempt could be ruined in the closing stages of the transfer window.
A 2-1 victory over Fulham on Wednesday evening extended Hull's unbeaten start to their Championship campaign, but Bruce admits that he is fearful of losing more key men after selling James Chester and Robbie Brady earlier in the summer.
"If we've got what we've got now then I'm very, very confident that we'll mount a challenge," he told reporters. "If we lose another four or five then we're goosed, that's my fear.
"That's being brutally honest and that's what we need to guard against. I hope it doesn't come down to the last two or three days when we lose these players because then it becomes very, very difficult."
Hull return to action with a trip to Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
