Saturday 25 February 2017 14:58, UK
Hull City play their first game for 14 days and should be suitably refreshed following a training camp in Portugal when they host Burnley at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday.
Marco Silva's men lost that match 2-0 at Arsenal but have taken seven points from five games with their new boss at the helm.
It means the Tigers have won as many points under Silva (seven) as they did in their previous 18 games under Mike Phelan.
Hull could win three consecutive home games in the top flight for the first time with victory in this match.
Confidence should be high within the camp against a Burnley team that were knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league Lincoln City last weekend.
Sean Dyche's side have won just one of their 30 points this season away from home.
Hull striker Abel Hernandez is back in contention following a hamstring injury.
Hernandez, linked with a possible move to Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan, missed Hull's defeat at Arsenal last time out.
The Tigers will be without Evandro due to a calf injury, while fellow midfielders Ryan Mason (fractured skull) and Markus Henriksen (shoulder), plus Michael Dawson (calf) and Curtis Davies (hamstring) remain sidelined.
Burnley's midfield options have been depleted further as Johann Berg Gudmundsson has picked up another problem.
The Iceland international suffered medial ligament damage in the FA Cup loss to Lincoln last weekend and joins Steven Defour (hamstring), Dean Marney (knee) and the suspended Jeff Hendrick, as well as goalkeeper Nick Pope (ankle), on the sidelines.
Record signing Robbie Brady is free to face his former club having been cup-tied against the Imps, while George Boyd and Ashley Barnes will hope to be recalled.
Hull won their last home game against Burnley; 3-0 in the Championship in December 2015.
However, Burnley are unbeaten in their five Premier League games against Hull, winning four (D1).
Indeed, Burnley's biggest Premier League away win came at the KCOM Stadium in April 2010 (4-1).
The Clarets have won just four out of 49 away games in their time in the Premier League - two of these have been against Hull (4-1 in April 2010 and 1-0 in May 2015).
Eight of the 11 goals scored in Premier League meetings between these sides have come after half-time.
Hull have failed to score in more top-flight games than any other side this season (12), including three of the last four.
Only one team in Premier League history has had fewer points from their first 11 away games in a season than Burnley (1) have now - QPR in 2014/15 (0).
However, only four sides have been relegated in Premier League history with 30+ points after 25 games in a season (Middlesbrough in 1992/93, Norwich in 1994/95, Ipswich in 2001/02 and Birmingham in 2010/11).
Hull have given away 11 penalties this season in the Premier League, the joint-most in a single Premier League campaign alongside Blackburn in 2006/07.
No Burnley player has managed to record an assist away from home this season.
Burnley got a big kick in the teeth last week against Lincoln. You have got a great opportunity for a cup and then you get beaten by a non-league team, which is very embarrassing if you're a Premier League side.
Hull need to win but these are the games that worry me for them. Against the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United you haven't got a lot to lose, but here the fans will tell you that they will expect to win.
Burnley are getting better away from home, so I'll go for a draw.
MERSON PREDICTS: 1-1 (9/2 with Sky Bet)
Hull are Sky Bet's 11/10 favourites for the victory, with Burnley 13/5 to secure a first away win, while the draw is priced at 9/4.
The Tigers are currently 5/6 third favourites for relegation as their visitors are considered all but safe with odds of 20/1. Oumar Niasse and Dieumerci Mbokani are joint favourites at 5/1 in a wide open first goalscorer market, with Andre Gray and Ashley Barnes considered the visitors' main threats at 13/2 apiece.
There's £250,000 up for grabs again in Soccer Saturday Super 6 this weekend for simply predicting the six correct scores. Enter your selections by 3pm here.
