Newcastle is focus for Tigers as Wembley dream put to one side

The Tigers are six points clear of the dropzone following last weekend’s 4-0 hammering of Cardiff City in south Wales.

It is a comfortable cushion but not one that can guarantee City won’t be dragged into trouble if results turn against Steve Bruce’s men in March, hence why Koren – the scorer of the goal that put the Yorkshire club into the last eight of the Cup – is adamant that Saturday’s clash with Newcastle United is all that matters right now.

He said: “We have always said staying in the Premier League is the biggest thing for us, so sometimes when the Cup games come around it is not a good thing.

“The players need rest and someone else jumps in. We have rotated the team around quite a lot in the FA Cup through the rounds but now we are so far in, one game away from Wembley, everyone wants to be involved.

“Now it is up to the manager to pick the team that will play the next game. Newcastle is a really important game for us.

“We are playing at home in front of our fans and we want to win the game for a vital three points.

“That will give us another lift for the next round of the FA Cup. But we must concentrate on one game at a time and make sure we are strong in the league.”

City are at home again on March 9 when Sunderland are the visitors for a quarter-final tie that will be shown live by ITV.

With the winners guaranteed a trip to Wembley, a stadium Hull have visited just once in their history, in the semi-finals, there is plenty at stake.

Koren added: “It’s better to get Sunderland than a team in the top four but they are a good team as well. Now we have come so far, just one game away from Wembley, of course we want to do well.”

Koren, who played at Wembley in 2007 when part of the West Brom side beaten by Derby County in the Championship play-off final, said: “To get to Wembley would be special for each of us. It would be brilliant to go to Wembley again so hopefully we can go there.”