Hull City at Sheffield Wednesday team news, preview and prediction Read more: http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull-City-Sheffield-Wednesday-team-news-preview/story-27998376-detail/story.html#ixzz3ooSAv3IH Follow us: @hulldailymail on Twitter | HullDailyMail on Facebook

Hull City boss Steve Bruce will make a late decision over the fitness of Abel Hernandez following the striker's demanding international schedule with Uruguay. Hernandez trained with his City team-mates today (Friday) but only after touching down in East Yorkshire on Thursday night.

With games against Ipswich and Birmingham following for the Tigers in the next week, there will be a temptation to hold Hernandez back. Chuba Akpom, who scored for England's under-21s in midweek, heads the queue of possible replacements for City's top goalscorer.

City have no fresh injury concerns and Bruce is likely to stick with the majority of the side that won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest. Sam Clucas and Shaun Maloney added width to an impressive midfield three of Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Mohamed Diame, while Ahmed Elmohamady and Moses Odubajo provided threats from full-back.



Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal has no fresh injury concerns as his in-form side chases a fifth consecutive win. The Owls have been in fine touch over recent weeks to leap up the Championship table and could force their way into the play-offs by beating the Tigers.

Although the international break threatens to upset Wednesday's momentum, Carvalhal reported the rest period had enabled key players Fernando Forestieri, Daniel Pudil and Barry Bannan to sharpen up.

Forestieri and Pudil, both arriving from Watford, and Bannan, recruited from Crystal Palace, have quickly become leading figures, but arrived at Hillsborough short on match fitness. A two-week break since the 3-1 victory over Preston has helped all three get up to speed.

Carvalhal may well choose to name the same starting XI that made it four victories on the bounce and that is likely to mean a reunion with Michael Turner. The central defender, who starred in the Tigers' promotion in 2007-08, is on loan from Norwich and has been partnering Tom Lees in an improving rearguard.



Hull City's defence has become the best in the Championship with back-to-back away clean sheets at Cardiff and Nottingham Forest but a very different threat will be posed when travelling to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Austrian striker Atdhe Nuhiu is expected to lead the Owls attack and his towering 6ft 7in frame has the potential to cause problems that diminutive partner Fernando Forestieri will aim to exploit.

Nuhiu, who has bagged three goals for Wednesday this season, is cumbersome and awkward, but the aerial threat he poses will mean Michael Dawson will need to be at his best. Dawson and Curtis Davies have been City's most consistent performers this season. Few defensive partnerships in all of the Championship appear as strong and they have the know-how to shackle Nuhiu.

Philip Buckingham's preview: A point would not be a disaster

The next three weeks will not define Hull City's fortunes in the Championship but seven games in, 22 days have the potential to start shaping an ambitious campaign.

Saturday lunchtime's trip to Sheffield Wednesday begins a hectic schedule that scarcely allows breath to be drawn until Middlesbrough visit the KC on November 7. As well as the Capital One Cup fourth round tie at home to Leicester, City will be left to scrap for 18 points between now and next month's international break.

The opening two months have not lacked for promise, seeing more points banked than in both the promotion-winning seasons of 2007-08 and 2012-13, but an erratic side needs to find its rhythm over the coming weeks. City have been good but seldom very good. There is the clear potential for more and Steve Bruce will expect to coax that out of his side in the weeks to come.

It will need a big performance if City are to find a third consecutive away win. Wednesday are on their own little roll with four wins on the bounce and will be targeting the scalp of a Yorkshire rival to accentuate their promotion credentials. A point would not be a disaster in the circumstances, so long as the next three weeks bring plenty more.