Lundstram loss is blow for Tigers

JAKIROVIC REFLECTS ON LATEST CITY INJURY

- By BARRY COOPER

Head coach Sergej Jakirovic admits losing John Lundstram to injury is another cruel blow to his Hull City side as they go in search of a second consecutive win for the first time in more than a year, though he says having Liam Millar back after Canada duty is huge.

Lundstram will be out until next month after sustaining a calf injury in the 1-0 win over Sheffield United before the international break, meaning the wait will go on for his 500th career appearance.

The 31-year-old has been an ever-present for City this season, but he will not feature at Birmingham City today, and is expected to sit out games against Leicester, Charlton, Norwich, Derby and Portsmouth.

City hope Lundstram will return sooner and be available for the games at the latter end of the six-game block, but Jakirovic is urging caution.

"It's not great," Jakirovic confessed. “We think he will be out for around one month with his calf, and it’s not good, but OK, this is the Championship. He is now in therapy and everything is OK. We're waiting day by day, week by week.

“The prediction is a maximum of six weeks, so now it's 1.5 with 3.5 weeks left to go. This is the maximum, so we will see how his recovery goes with his body. Every time, it’s always individual. When it happened to (Lewie) Coyley (hamstring injury) in Istanbul, they told me six weeks, and it was exactly six weeks.”