Why The Return Of Evandro Could Help Hull To A Mid-Table Position
Hull City midfield player Evandro has managed a huge step towards full match fitness having featured in a private friendly game against Bradford City and could be a huge fillip for the club in the coming weeks.
Other first-team squad members such as Michael Hector, David Marshall and Michael Dawson also featured in the behind-closed-doors game at the Tigers’ training centre, but it was the return from injury of Evandro that will excite first-team coach Leonid Slutsky.
The Brazilian star has not featured for Hull in a competitive game since the humiliating 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace back in May, a game which also marked the Tigers’ relegation from the Premier League under the otherwise excellent Marco Silva who is now in charge at Watford.
Given that they lost almost all of their saleable talent to other clubs over the summer, Evandro was part of a very slim squad which began pre-season training under the Russian coach but he has not played in any of Hull’s competitive games this season after suffering an injury during a friendly game with Bristol Rovers back in July.
Problems both with his thigh and his hamstring have kept the man from Brazil out of Slutsky’s thoughts this season and he has been a regular watcher from the stands. But, following two weeks of training with his first-team buddies, he is now almost ready for a return to competitive action.
Although this weekend’s game at home to Ipswich Town is almost certainly going to be considered too early for Evandro to return to Championship action after six months without a proper game, the 31-year-old appears to be not too far away from the Hull first-team and as we head towards Christmas, Hull could do with all the help they can get.
The Tigers currently sit 20th in the Championship, the table being a miserable sight for supporters who were watching their side play Premier League football last season.
Their top division status had appeared to be safe once they appointed Marco Silva, with the manager performing wonders at first. But they ultimately ran out of steam before suffering the drop.
Evandro would provide some much-needed quality in the Hull City midfield and it’s that sort of control in the middle of the park which has been missing for too long. 20th in itself isn’t a positive thing, however, the fact that they are not quite in the relegation zone yet means the return of a key player can see them push on for a mid-table finish.