‘Not good news’: Hull City dealt significant double injury blow ahead of Portsmouth trip
Pompey welcome promotion-chasing Hull City to Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon.
Hull City have been dealt a huge double injury blow over two key figures ahead of Saturday’s trip to Fratton Park.
But the Tigers will be without ever-present full-back Ryan Giles for the long journey to the south coast after the 26-year-old sustained a serious hamstring injury against Derby County in midweek.
The left-back pulled up midway through the second period in the 4-2 triumph over the Rams and is now set to miss at least eight weeks of action - starting on Saturday against the Blues.
The former England youth international has been pivotal for Hull on the left-hand side this term, registering eight assists in his 30 outings to date.
Hull City injury blow ahead of Pompey trip
But speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Fratton Park, Jakirovic has confirmed Giles’ significant blow and is now facing two months on the sidelines.
The Tigers head coach told Hull Live: ‘It's not good news, unfortunately, Ryan got a three-c hamstring injury, which is a very, very tough injury. It's the other leg, it's not the same hamstring like against Middlesbrough. Our prediction is eight weeks.
‘Right now he's with the medical staff, therapy and everything. We will try to push to seven weeks, but we will see week by week.
‘It's a big blow for us because we already lost Matty Jacob in this position, and now Ryan Giles. Now we have Coyley (Lewie Coyle), Cody Drameh, and Akin Famewo, so I will decide tomorrow (Friday) who will be in this position.
‘If everything goes by the plan, maybe (he can return) for the last three games. God knows what will happen; we will see.
‘I must find a way, but it's not a natural position for those players that I mentioned already, so we will see. It's between Cody, Coyle and Akin Famewo. We must put somebody there, and I will decide tomorrow (Friday).
‘Of course, Ryan Giles and Matty Jacob are in their natural positions, and you can't replace them so easily.’
‘Giles had a lot of assists this season from this position, and with Liam Millar, he has a very good connection on the left side. He also does with Oli McBurnie, with Kyle Joseph, so it's not easy to replace that, but like always, we will try with the team effort.’
Yu Hirakawa injury latest
Alongside Giles, January signing Yu Hirakawa will miss Saturday’s contest after suffering a season-ending ankle injury against QPR last Saturday.
The winger, who penned a loan deal from Bristol City last month, featured just six times for the Tigers before sustaining the set-back in the 3-1 defeat to the R’s.
And Jakirovic has revealed the 25-year-old has returned to Ashton Gate to undergo treatment and is now set for surgery.
The head coach added: ‘He will be in Bristol for a couple of days, then we will decide with Bristol. Maybe if he avoids the surgery, he will come back to us to do his therapy here.
‘It's his decision for the surgery because the biggest problem is that this is the same ankle from the Olympic Games that happened in 2024.
‘This is why specialists decided he must go to surgery, but it's his decision, and we will see.
‘Right now, he's in Bristol because he's a Bristol player, and we have a very good connection with them, and we will decide together.’
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