City’s squad has been swelled by the return of key players for the final four games
Barry Cooper Hull City correspondent
15:10, 16 Apr 2026
Ryan Giles is set to return to the Hull City squad(Image: James Fearn/Getty Images)
Sergej Jakirovic has confirmed that Cody Drameh has been handed the disappointing news that he will miss the remainder of Hull City’s regular season.
Drameh departed last weekend’s defeat at Sheffield United after just 20 minutes with a quad injury, which saw him miss the early weeks of the New Year, albeit it’s now in the opposite leg.
Scans have since revealed damage that will see the full-back sit out the next six weeks as City look to end their near-decade wait for Premier League football.
There is, however, hugely positive news that City’s squad could be boosted by no fewer than six returning players for the visit of Birmingham City on Saturday.
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Yu Hirakawa, Ryan Giles, Akin Famewo, Toby Collyer, and Lewis Koumas are all set to return to the squad, while Eliot Matazo is also expected to be involved and could make his first Championship appearance since late February last year.
Hirakawa hasn’t played since damaging his ankle in late February, and had been expected to face a race against time to feature in the World Cup. Giles has been sidelined since the win over Derby County a few days later.
Both Collyer and Koumas missed the controversial loss in the Steel City, but have also been training this week in a bid to return on Saturday, with the Liverpool loanee keen to face his former loan club.
Matazo stepped up his return from his quad injury by playing an hour for City’s Under-21s in their 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Tuesday, along with Matty Jacob and Darko Gyabi.
Gyabi will be in the squad against the Blues, but Jacob will be assessed after taking a kick to his knee in that game, with Jakirovic facing a tough decision whether to throw Giles straight back into the starting line-up after his second hamstring injury in the space of two months.
Regan Slater is back in individual training and could yet make a swift return against Charlton Athletic next Saturday, with John Lundstram sitting out this weekend following his sending off at Bramall Lane, but he will be back for the trip to Leicester City on Tuesday.
“Cody’s finished for the season,” Jakirovic told Hull Live. ” It’s the end of the season for him, and I hope he will recover good. He’s now in medical treatment, and he’ll be out for six weeks. I think it’s over, and prepare and rest good for the next season.
“Of course, Cody, when he’s healthy, there is no doubt, any issues. It’s just that he’s struggling with injuries as well. Now it’s the same quad, just on the opposite side, which is very interesting, but OK, what can we do? Its all season is like this, not just in our club, in all clubs. A lot of games and a lot of intensity, and it’s always a problem.
“Cody’s good,” Jakirovic explained when asked how the defender was. “I said to him, ‘You are still here. You can go home and rest good’. Cody is here with the medical stuff, and we will see. We are going day by day, but the prediction is six weeks, so maybe, maybe, we will see (possible return should City extend their season).
“Ryan Giles has trained with us; he joined the group this week, so he will be available for this game. It’s a big boost, but it’s also a lot of weeks off the pitch, and we don’t have any time. We have to manage every player. We will see tomorrow (if he starts). Tomorrow (Friday) it’s one more training, so he’s close.
“He (Matty Jacob) played, but he got a kick in the same place as his previous (knee) injury, so we’ll see tomorrow (Friday). He didn’t train today. (Thursday)
“Yu Hirakawa is with us, no pain, nothing. He trained normally, so he will be available. He showed in the previous games that he’s also a very good player, and he can help the team.
“He (Famewo) also trained with us. He’s available, so we will see who will be in the roster of 20 players. Right now, no (Not ready to start). It’s the same situation as every injured player who has returned. We have Paddy, we have Gilo, we have Akin, Matty, and Jacob. Charlie’s (Hughes) is OK and is with us.
“They are good, they are in training (Collyer and Koumas). Tomorrow (Friday I will decide everything, but they are available, which is good for us.”
Matazo was named on the bench against Millwall early last month, before suffering another setback, but the Belgian midfielder may well get his first run-out in more than 12 months.
“He played 60 minutes,” the Croatian said on Matazo. “Everything is fine, and he will be available for this game. He will be in the squad. We will see how many minutes he maybe can get, it depends.”
Regan Slater is also progressing well from his ankle injury and could be involved in the final away game of the regular campaign in South London next week, further adding to Jakirovic’s options.
“He’s (Slater) good. He started to train with Jonathan (fitness coach) in some individual sessions. He feels fine. Maybe he will be available for the Charlton game.
“Darko Gyabi also played 60 minutes. Maybe right now, how he looks is a little bit too far away, but also when we have problems with injuries, with everything, we will try to use every player.”
Rarely this season has Jakirovic had so many options, something he says is a welcome boost, but admits, given what prize is on offer, he needs to use them quickly.
“Players are coming back, yeah, they are in training, so, as I said, there is no time for the experiments. We have to use them, so no matter their conditions – 15, 20, 30 minutes, you can always play.”
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