Hull City head into the final game of the Championship season with fresh problems in midfield after Sergej Jakirovic said Eliot Matazo has suffered another ACL injury and is now in London waiting for surgery next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Matazo had only recently come back from his previous ACL injury, and Jakirovic said the midfielder had trained with Hull for almost four weeks before being selected. The manager said he chose to start him so his minutes could be split with Regan Slater if needed, but what followed was the latest setback in a campaign that has repeatedly tested Hull's squad depth.
Jakirovic pushed back at suggestions the club had rushed Matazo back too quickly. He said he and the medical staff had spoken with the player throughout, and insisted the decision to use him was based on what he believed was best for the team at the time. “Unfortunately, I saw in the public that there are a lot of questions because (they think) we rushed with him. This is not true,” he said. “He trained with us for almost four weeks. Everything was okay. My decision was that it’s better to start in the game because if something happens like now, of course not ACL, but hamstring, quad, groin, we can replace or split the minutes with Regan Slater.”
The injury leaves Hull even thinner in the middle of the pitch. Jakirovic said the main issue is the absence of Amir Hadžiahmetović and Toby Collyer, while Darko Gyabi has only just returned after 12 weeks out. “That was the main issue. We have problems in the midfield line because of Amir and Toby Collyer’s injuries,” he said. “Darko Gyabi has also come back after 12 weeks off the pitch, so if somebody doesn’t know, we have a lot of problems with midfield players.”
That matters now because Hull are level on points with Wrexham and still fighting for the final play-off spot going into their match against Norwich City. The margin for error has vanished, and Jakirovic said the club will now focus on helping Matazo recover and return stronger. “We always try to do the best, make the best decision for the team that can help the team,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s his right knee, it’s very unhappy for me, but of course, life goes on, and we will do everything to help Eliott come back even stronger.”