Oxford United v Hull City: Positives outweigh Sergej Jakirovic's international break problems

Unlike many, he is not complaining. Far from it.

It takes a lot to make Hull City's coach miserable, and after a first week at home in four months, he is refreshed for a defining spell.

Good Friday takes the Tigers to Oxford United, threatened by relegation but only a point from safety after 10 from a possible 12 until defeat at Southampton.

Hull’s equation is tight too, but the prize much more positive. With seven games to go, their cushion to the play-offs is three points.

Whilst Jakirovic and many of his players have rested, others flew around the globe with their countries. One picked up an injury, plenty more lots of air miles.

But the last person to grumble is former Bosnia midfielder Jakirovic, who saw his country qualify for their second World Cup with Hull's Amir Hadziahmetovic in their ranks.

The midfielder's return was delayed by a Sarajevo celebration his club coach had no issue with.

"He is professional," he explains. "I spoke with him on Wednesday and we agreed everything – when he will come back because they had time on Wednesday with a minister, and a press conference.

"I'm very happy because they are my ex-team-mates, they are my friends and we are mostly in daily contact. We are always (either) joking around or it's professional, they are asking for some information, especially against Wales.

"I expected he (Hadziahmetovic) would call me (to say) I will come back one day later because over 100,000 people celebrated with them in Sarajevo. Maybe they had one or two beers. Just one or two.

"It's a big achievement, a big success to be in the World Cup. Expectation will already be rising.

"Also, we are fighting here so we need to use this moment because maybe only one time you will have this opportunity.

"(Ivor) Pandur arrived on Thursday, (Liam) Millar Thursday, (Cathal) McCarthy Thursday, Amir Thursday. They're waiting for us in Oxford in the hotel. But we have a lot of players in every position so we have to be ready."

A place in next season's Premier League, is worth giving everything for at the Kassam Stadium.

"The lads are good, rested well and we are ready to go," says Jakirovic. “When you look in the face they are very fresh.

"Mentally it's a big load – the last four months, 26 games.

"(Now) it's eight days, three games (they are at Coventry City on Monday, then Sheffield United the following Saturday). Overall April is six games, four away, two at home.

"It doesn't matter. We took 33 points away, 33 at home.

"We're also playing well, especially this season we have performed well away."

Oxford, now under Matt Bloomfield after the sacking of Gary Rowett in January, will provide a muscular examination.

"Against Southampton they played 3-4-3 but mostly at home they're playing with a back four and a very tall team," says Jakirovic.

"If we control set pieces then we have a big chance to take something and we must be very concentrated and focus in these situations.

"We're expecting a difficult game but also we're looking at ourselves and we will try to take something."

Oxford showcased what they could do in Hull's first home game of the season, but lost 3-2.

"We conceded two goals from set pieces, long throw-ins and after a wide free kick, (from the) second ball," recalls Jakirovic. "They've changed the manager (since) but we know everything about Oxford, they know everything about us."

Paddy McNair trained on Tuesday and Thursday after being sent home injured from Northern Ireland's play-off defeat in Italy. That Semi Ajayo only played in the first of Nigeria's games was pre-arranged. Millar played both Canada's friendlies, the second at World Cup venue Toronto on Wednesday UK time.

"Liam is a very fast player so it's good that he played," says his club coach. “He trained with a very high class of the players, which is good. I'm just worried about jetlag."

Despite the time off, Hull still have a lengthy injury list which Regan Slater joined in the last game, at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

"The prediction is six weeks (from the injury to his return),” says Jakirovic. “I said to him, you must find a nice, big park you can walk around.”

Matty Jacob, Ryan Giles, Darko Gyabi and Akin Famewo are working their way back from lengthy injuries but Yu Hirakawa, whose season was all-but written off after picking up an injury shortly after joining on loan from Bristol City, could play on the 18th.

"He avoided surgery because of the World Cup (where he hopes to play for Japan) and maybe he will be with us the week before Birmingham training with the group."

Two April games have moved, with the match at Charlton Athletic now at 12.30pm on 25th, and the preceding game at Leicester City moved to Tuesday.