The Tigers are closing in on having their key men back and available
Barry Cooper Hull City correspondent
15:24, 03 Dec 2025
Oli McBurnie is closing in on a return to the City first team(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
Hull City have been handed a major boost as they prepare to kick off what is a pivotal festive period with the news that Oli McBurnie and Liam Millar are about to return to first-team action.
Both could be involved when promotion rivals Middlesbrough visit the MKM Stadium on Friday night, with boss Sergej Jakirovic saying a decision will be made after training on Thursday, and the good news keeps flowing with Charlie Hughes expected back in the fold after missing last Saturday’s win at Stoke City with a hamstring issue.
Jakirovic admits he faces a tough decision whether or not to include Millar and McBurnie against Boro, but says if he opts against risking them, they will both be fit enough to be in the squad for the visit of Wrexham to the MKM Stadium next Wednesday evening.
Influential striker McBurnie hasn’t played since the second half of the win at Birmingham City back in mid-October after sustaining a calf injury, while Millar’s been sidelined since the draw with his former club Charlton Athletic at the end of October, having damaged his hamstring, though the pair are now back in full training.
City have no other fresh injury concerns for Friday night’s showdown in front of the Sky Sports cameras from that dramatic win in the Potteries on Saturday, with Cody Drameh (glute) still unavailable, though he’s expected to feature next week.
“Charlie Hughes did today’s (Wednesday) training session individually,” Jakirovic told Hull Live. “He’s good. Our decision was very good before Stoke because the MRI scan showed that there was something. If I took a risk to put Charlie in the team, then maybe he could get an injury, so that was nice. It was a good decision, and now he will be ready for the Middlesbrough game. This is very good news. I said already we have four good centre-backs. I cannot say anything other than we have solutions.
“Yesterday, Oli did a very good session individually. A lot of loading, running. Today (Wednesday), he feels fine, and if it’s not Friday, he will be for sure against Wrexham on Wednesday.
“Yes, (McBurnie’s back in) group training, and he will be ready. I don’t know now how many minutes, but he will be in the squad. Yes, it’s possible (to be on the bench on Friday). He and Liam Millar as well. Liam yesterday (Tuesday) trained with us in the group, which is good. Today, he (Millar) feels good. It’s great news for us.”
“Tomorrow (a decision will be made). If it’s not Friday, then Wednesday, one hundred per cent. Yeah (the temptation to put McBurnie on the bench), but I have already experienced that it was not good if I’m rushing the player, so it’s better one day after than before. We will see. If you ask Oli, he’s ready on Friday to start; he’s always like this. But OK, we will decide together with the medical staff.”
Millar, who came back from an ACL injury and played his first minutes in the draw with Preston North End at the end of September, has missed the last six games with a hamstring problem, but has come through training and could be involved.
“Maybe (on the bench), if he’s not, he will have four more good sessions,” he said of Millar. “We will decide tomorrow (Thursday) with the medical staff.
“Cody Drameh, I am expecting that he will start group training on Monday, so he will skip this Friday and Kasey Palmer, I think, has two more weeks to go.”
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