MY ACCOUNT
Mark Fotheringham will be hopeful of securing his first win as Huddersfield head coach when his side welcomes managerless Hull to the John Smith’s Stadium in the Championship on Sunday.
Former Hertha Berlin assistant manager Fotheringham has taken just one point from his two matches since succeeding Danny Schofield in the Terriers’ dugout at the end of September, but his side showed plenty of spirit as they came from behind to draw at Luton last time out.
Hull are also on the hunt for a new manager after parting ways with Shota Arveladze, but the Tigers will head into Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off with renewed belief after interim boss Andy Dawson guided them to a 2-1 home victory over Wigan during the week.
Team news
Huddersfield will be forced into at least one change for Sunday’s match as defender David Kasumu is suspended following his sending off against Luton.
Defender Luke Mbete could also come out of the starting line-up after enduring a difficult evening at Kenilworth Road, with Oliver Turton and Jack Rudoni the two expected to come into the XI.
Captain Jonathan Hogg remains unavailable to Fotheringham as the long-serving midfielder continues to nurse a calf injury.
Hull’s injury list is lengthy, with Harvey Vale, Vaughn Covil, Benjamin Tetteh, Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, Brandon Fleming and Billy Chadwick all still on the treatment table.
That could lead Dawson to stick with the same starting line-up that beat Wigan, although Greg Docherty and Ryan Longman are pushing for recalls.
The stats
This will be Fotheringham’s first home match in charge of Huddersfield, with his opening two games coming on the road at Reading and Luton.
The Terriers lost 3-1 at the former but earned a credible 3-3 draw against the Hatters, particularly as they ended the game with 10 men.
Huddersfield have scored in their last four league fixtures, but keeping clean sheets has been a problem, as the West Yorkshire outfit have only secured one shut-out across their 12 matches to date this term.
Hull’s victory over Wigan ended a run of five consecutive defeats, but they remain without a win on the road this season, losing each of their last three away from the MKM Stadium and conceding 11 goals in the process.
This is also a fixture that Huddersfield have dominated over recent years, winning each of the last four meetings between the two sides, with Hull’s previous victory over the Terriers coming in August 2015.
Prediction
These two sides have endured tough starts to the season, but there may be light at the end of the tunnel for both given their efforts in the week.
Having appointed a new permanent head coach, Huddersfield may be a little further down the line in their rebuild than Hull, while home advantage could also help the Terriers secure all three points on Sunday — they won their most recent fixture at the John Smith’s Stadium against Cardiff.
Conceding goals is still an issue for the Terriers though, and, despite their struggles, Hull do know where the back of the net is — especially forward Oscar Estupinan, whose tally of eight goals is the highest in the Championship to date this season.
This could well prove an entertaining match — and ultimately one that Huddersfield can win.
