Leeds United loanee can make instant impact at Hull City, but Ruben Selles has warning over Matt Crooks

Leeds-born former Middlesbrough, Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town midfielder Crooks joined the Tigers late last week, with Leeds United forward Gelhardt expected to follow on loan imminently.

Crooks left Middlesbrough for Real Salt Lake City in February, but has not played competitively since November 3 when Salt Lake were knocked out of the play-offs.

So although Sunday's FA Cup third-round exit to Doncaster Rovers showed Hull are in need of a cutting edge in front of goal, Crooks is in no position to provide it immediately, at least in anything more than a cameo at Millwall at best on Saturday.

But coach Selles has no such qualms about Gelhardt, even though he has only played nine minutes (plus stoppage time) of Championship football this season, and none since October 1.

"First of all we need to take care of them," said Selles, who hopes to follow up with a third signing in the mid-season transfer window. “We don't want any injuries in the next stages so we need to manage them.

"In the case of the winger (Gelhardt), he has been training with Leeds United so that should not be a problem. In the case of Matt we need to really manage him well.

"I think with Matt we need to build him up. We cannot throw him into 90 minutes straight away because he is a good physical player but we will need to evaluate him.

"With some of the others, I think they can come and make an impact."

Gelhardt can play as a centre-forward or in the hole behind the striker but it seems clear from how Selles talks about him that he will predominantly play wide for Hull.

His only start of the season came in the League Cup defeat at home to Middlesbrough in the opening week of the season. There have been two substitute appearances in the league.

Last season he made two league starts for Leeds, one in the 2022-23 Premier League, and five in 2021-22, his breakthrough campaign after joining from Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2020.

Crooks' Football League pedigree is better established, and Selles thinks his Championship track record will be important in trying to steer Hull away from the relegation zone.

"It's massive," said the Spaniard. "His profile, his way of doing things and his history just indicate he's a good player for the division and he suits our style so we need to give him the platform so he arrives at the point where he can express his football with us."