Hull hope to have Andy Dawson and Dean Marney available, but striker Caleb Folan is out with a knee injury.

Dawson has been out with an Achilles problem and Marney has been unable to train fully because of a knock.

Middlesbrough defender Robert Huth, who has been out since September with a foot injury, is back in the squad.

Emanuel Pogatetz is likely to recover from a shoulder problem in time to play and Gary O'Neil should be passed fit after a slight hamstring injury.

Hull (from): Myhill, McShane, Turner, Zayatte, Ricketts, Ashbee, Boateng, Marney, Geovanni, Barmby, King, Cousin, Dawson, Doyle, Windass, Hughes, Garcia, Halmosi, Giannakopoulos, Mendy, Duke.

Middlesbrough (from): Turnbull, Jones, Hoyte, McMahon, Taylor, Grounds, Wheater, Pogatetz, Huth, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Arca, Walker, Digard, Downing, Johnson, Emnes, Mido, Tuncay, Alves.

Hull City manager Phil Brown told BBC Look North:

"It's now three undefeated, three good draws, two on our journeys.

"We're back at the KC Stadium, hopefully to bring back that winning mentality."

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate:


"I attended a dinner with Phil Brown last weekend and I found him a very impressive guy.

"I think the job he has done is phenomenal, and there are so many similarities between them and us in the way he and his chairman are developing the club's facilities while at the same time going out into the community.

"Phil is passionate about what he is trying to do at Hull, just as we are at Middlesbrough."