Phelan targets striker as Hull´s player shortage bites

Hull City boss Mike Phelan has confirmed his intention to sign a striker in the January transfer window, with Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez mooted as a potential target.

The Tigers face a striker shortage having lost Will Keane to a long-term knee injury and with Abel Hernandez suffering from a recurring groin problem.

Phelan’s team will come up against an in-form West Brom outfit this Saturday and the manager is well aware of the difference a new striker would have in such crucial games:

“You don’t win matches without scoring goals and strikers are the main ones do that,” he said.

“We are interested in a couple. People like Jay are getting sporadic games at their clubs, but there are others around and we have to get the right ones.

“We’ve lost Will, we do have Adama Diomande back now, but Dieumerci Mbokani we will possibly lose because of the Africa Cup of Nations.”

Hull slipped into further trouble last weekend when they received a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of fellow strugglers Sunderland and Phelan knows his team must prove more robust in both defence and attack if they are to survive.

He added: “It’s quite easy to concede goals because of the quality at this level, but, when you have the chance to score goals, you have to be determined to do that and give yourself the opportunity to win matches.”

“We didn’t take our chances [against Sunderland], which is important at this level. I’d like to score more goals.”

Hull sit in 18th in the Premier League table and could be boosted by the return of defender Andrew Robertson this weekend.

“Andy Robertson has trained two days this week. He’s available. Whether we start with him, we’ll decide later,” Phelan said.