Premier League: Hull City v West Ham United match preview

A look ahead to Saturday’s Premier League fixture at the KC Stadium

Curtis Davies and Ahmed Elmohamady celebrate for Hull (PA)

Both Hull City and West Ham will return to full strength after advancing to the last 16 of the League cup with weakened sides in midweek.

Steve Bruce will be without his captain Robert Koren, who was ruled out for eight weeks with a fracture in his right foot and was forced to miss the game with Newcastle United a week ago.

Defender James Chester is out after pulling his hamstring during the win against the Magpies, but Bruce can welcome back Maynor Figueroa who returned from compassionate leave in Honduras this week.

Sam Allardyce will have Mark Noble available for selection again after the midfielder served his one-game suspension during Tuesday’s League Cup win over Cardiff City.

He will check on the fitness of Stewart Downing and Joe Cole after the players returned to training from injuries this week, but Andy Carroll remains on the long-term casualty list.

Jussi Jaaskelainen, Kevin Nolan and Mohamed Diame will all return to the starting line-up after being rested in midweek.

KICK-OFF: Saturday, 3.00 pm

PAST THREE MEETINGS…

West Ham United 2 (Cole 2) Hull 1 (Evans), Championship, April 2012

Hull  0 West Ham United 2 (Baldock, Collison), Championship, November 2011

West Ham United 3 (Behrami, Cole, Faubert) Hull City 0, Premier League, February 2010

STATS

Steve Bruce’s men have yet to lose any games to a team outside the top four on their return to the Premier League, and are unbeaten at the KC stadium.

Hull have only beaten West Ham once since January 1990. They beat them 1-0 in 2008 courtesy of a goal from Michael Turner.

In all of West Ham’s league games so far they have yet to have had the majority of possession. The highest they had was 44.9 per cent during their loss against Stoke.

West Ham’s two away games have ended in goalless draws.

ODDS…

Hull to win: 2.36

West Ham to win: 3.45

Draw: 3.35

TV: Highlights on BBC 1, Match of the Day, Saturday 10.30 pm and Match of the Day 2, Sunday, 10.25 pm