Hull City v Millwall: Abel Hernandez's likely return will provide fillip for Tigers

The East Yorkshire city was, after all, where the Lions famously won promotion to the top flight for the first time in the club’s history thanks to Kevin O’Callaghan’s penalty in a 1-0 win at the Tigers’ former Boothferry Park home in May 1988.

Almost three decades on and Hull fans will be hoping to witness a cherished moment of their own this evening and a potentially fateful one in the club’s fight against relegation.

Striker Abel Hernandez, potentially a trump card in the Tigers’ quest to stay up, is in contention to make his return after being out since mid-August with a ruptured Achilles.

The Uruguayan international was expected to be named on the bench for last week’s match with Barnsley only to miss out after feeling his hamstring in a training ground game.

But he featured in another fixture towards the end of last week and the availability of the 27-year-old, who fired a hat-trick at the start of the season against Burton, would be a massive psychological fillip for the Tigers and, not least, the player.

Tigers chief Nigel Adkins, whose side have not been beaten in their past eight matches in all competitions on home soil, said: “On Friday, we were able to have a training ground game, which was good for the likes of Abel Hernandez, Ondrej Mazuch, Markus Henriksen and Harry Wilson to name a few.

“Stephen Kingsley was another and that was very beneficial.”

Last six games: Hull LWLLWD Millwall LDWWWD.

Referee: D Coote (West Yorkshire).

Last time: Hull 4 Millwall 1; September 15, 2012; Championship.