Premier League Preview: Hull v Wigan
Published 16:57 29/08/08 By By Chris Wilson
Saturday, kick-off 3pm
Celebrity predictions from The New Football Pools' pundits:
John Barnes : Draw. Tony Cascarino : Away. Graham Poll : Draw.
Team news:
Hull midfielder George Boateng is struggling to make the squad after missing last week's draw against Blackburn with a thigh injury which has not responded well to treatment. Striker Marlon King, on loan from Wigan, is ineligible to play against his parent club meaning veteran forward Dean Windass could start. Ian Ashbee, Andy Dawson and Geovanni have all overcome slight knocks to take their places in the squad.
Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland suffered a slight back spasm during the warm-up against Chelsea last weekend, which forced him to miss the game, but he should be fit to replace Mike Pollitt. Midfielders Paul Scharner and Jason Koumas are nursing ankle injuries - Michael Brown and Kevin Kilbane are standing by - while Henri Camara is pushing for a start after he scored twice in the Carling Cup defeat of Notts County.
Stats:
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Hull L W L W D; Wigan D W L L L
Top scorers: Richard Garcia, Dean Windass, Caleb Folan & Geovanni (Hull) 1; Amr Zaki & Henri Camara (Wigan) 2
Match odds: H 6-4 A 15-8 D 11-5
Referee: Michael Jones (Cheshire)
Match facts from Opta:
Hull dumped Wigan out of last season's Carling Cup with a 1-0 win at the JJB Stadium.
The two sides haven't met in the league since the 1996-97 season - their league record stands at three wins apiece and six draws.
Their last league clash came in the bottom tier.
Wigan have won only two of their last 20 Premier League games on the road.
Hull have trailed in both matches played so far, but have recouped four points from those losing positions, more than any other team.
The Tigers have been caught offside 19 times so far - a league high.
Former Wigan striker Caleb Folan scored just two goals in 15 Premier League appearances for Wigan before moving to Hull in August 2007.
Hull have restricted their opponents to a joint-league-low four shots on target this season.
Hull haven't kept a clean sheet in their last seven regular league games.
Wigan have lost their last three games in a row.
Hull are unbeaten in their last 11 games at the KC Stadium, winning eight of those.
Hull have made more defensive clearances (150) than any other team to date.
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