Preview: Hull City vs. Barnsley - prediction, team news, lineups

Hull City will welcome Barnsley to the MKM Stadium for a Yorkshire derby on Tuesday, with both sides sat in the bottom five of the Championship table.

The visitors are rooted to the foot of the division with just 17 points, while a five-game winless run has seen their hosts drop back down to 20th spot.

Match preview

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Following their promotion back to the Championship last season, Hull City have continuously done enough to avoid being in the bottom three, most notably picking up four straight wins in November under Grant McCann, before he left the club in line with a takeover in January.

New manager Shota Arveladze started in impressive fashion in Yorkshire, overseeing the club's third straight victory as they defeated Swansea City 2-0, but the Tigers have since failed to add another three-point haul.

Hull went on to lose three consecutive matches before earning an impressive point as they held an in-form Sheffield United to a goalless stalemate away from home.

Saturday produced another commendable draw away from home for Arveladze's men, as their meeting with fourth-placed Queens Park Rangers ended a goal apiece thanks to Marcus Forss's first-half opener.

While a winless run has seen the Tigers drop back into the bottom five, they will be pleased with the last two outings, and, with a 13-point lead over the relegation zone, they should turn their focus back up the table with the chance to climb to 18th if they can secure a victory.

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Barnsley arrive looking to keep any slim chances of survival alive with what would be just a fourth league win of the term.

After reaching the playoffs last season, Barnsley have had a far tougher campaign this time around, quickly sinking to the foot of the division before Markus Schopp was replaced by Poya Asbaghi in the hot seat.

That change has not had the desired impact at Oakwell, with the Tykes still stuck in 24th place following a dismal 13-game winless Championship run including 10 losses.

The Yorkshire outfit were finally able to stop the rot recently, though, as Domingos Quina fired them to a 1-0 home win over Queens Park Rangers, before they looked set to take another positive step with a goalless draw against Coventry City.

Those hopes were dashed though, as the Sky Blues snatched all three points through a 93rd-minute Dominic Hyam goal, leaving Barnsley four points behind 23rd-placed Peterborough United and nine points adrift of safety.

With just 15 games left to play, Asbaghi's men will know that they require a drastic turn in form if they are to stand a chance of survival this term, starting with a return to winning ways on Tuesday.

Team News

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Hull City have a long list of injuries to deal with, as Lewie Coyle, Nathan Baxter, Josh Emmanuel, Andy Cannon and Mallik Wilks are all out of action, while goalkeeper Matt Ingram was the latest addition to the treatment room on Saturday as he took a major knock.

Exciting young forward Keane Lewis-Potter should again lead the line alongside Marcus Forss, who hit his first Championship goal of the season at the weekend after a January loan move from Brentford.

Sean McLoughlin, Jacob Greaves and Di'Shon Bernard will likely form a back three in front of back-up goalkeeper Harvey Cartwright, with Regan Slater and Richie Smallwood set to handle business in the engine room.

Barnsley also have plenty of injury concerns, with key striker Cauley Woodrow ruled out alongside Victor Adeboyejo, Clarke Oduor, Liam Kitching and Aaron Leya Iseka.

After consecutive improved performances, Asbaghi should name an unchanged starting XI, with Jordan Williams, Michal Helik and Mads Andersen lining up as a back three.

Further forward, Domingos Quina has been a breath of fresh air since his January loan move from Watford, and he will continue to play a key role in attack after his winning goal against QPR.

Hull City possible starting lineup:
Cartwright; McLoughlin, Greaves, Bernard; Longman, Slater, Smallwood, Elder; Honeyman; Forss, Lewis-Potter

Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Collins; Williams, Helik, Andersen; Brittain, Palmer, Gomes, Vita; Styles, Morris, Quina

We say: Hull City 1-1 Barnsley

While Barnsley have been the inferior side over the course of the campaign, the Tykes will come in with a degree of confidence after two more impressive performances, and we fancy them to leave Hull with a result on Tuesday.

Although draws are not overly useful given the stacked odds against them, Asbaghi's side should at least have enough to avoid a defeat against the Tigers who have not won in five league outings.

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