Tigers hopeful Eaves and others will return

HULL CITY are optimistic Tom Eaves will be fit to return when football resumes after the coronavirus suspension.

The centre-forward was one of a number of players the Tigers feared they had lost for the season, having suffered ankle ligament damage in February’s 2-1 defeat at Preston North End.

Since then, professional football has been suspended until at least April 30 to try to help prevent the spread of covid-19. With warnings it may be six months before the country returns to normality, a meeting on Friday could see that date pushed back again.

The extra time should be enough for 28-year-old Eaves, who joined from Gillingham last summer, to put himself in contention for Hull’s nine remaining games – assuming it is possible to play them.

The hope is Eaves will resume running in the next fortnight and his lack of match sharpness is less of an issue with footballers training alone because of Government restrictions.

Jordy de Wijs, Reece Burke, Eric Lichaj, Josh Bowler, Jon Toral, Herbie Kane and James Scott may also find seasons which had been written off can now be resumed. Scott was signed from Motherwell for £1.5m on deadline day but is yet to make his Tigers debut having suffered ankle ligament damage in the first few minutes of his first training session.

Meanwhile, Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips feels he is “on the border” of the England squad, and hopes promotion this season can push him over it.

“I know the bar is incredibly high for international footballers, but I feel like I’m on the border of that,” he said.

“Once Leeds have become an established Premier League side again, hopefully I can do well enough to convince Gareth Southgate that I deserve a spot in his squad.”