- There have been 19 goals in the last five Premier League meetings between these teams.
- Hull have won just two of their last 12 Premier League home games (D3, L7).
- The Magpies have gone 10 league games without a clean sheet and they have conceded two or more goals in each of their last five league matches. (BBC Sport)
John Carver did just enough in his four games as caretaker manager.
Following the departure of former Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, who left for the managerial vacancy at Crystal Palace, the 50-year-old led the Magpies to one draw and three losses.
The defeats came against Chelsea, Southampton and Leicester City, and the first two results against top Premier League squads certainly were not detrimental to Carver’s incumbent status at the helm.
Now, the Englishman will remain manager until the summer, and he will face his first challenge in this role vs. Hull City on Saturday, where Newcastle will look to improve their mid-table 11th place spot.
[RELATED: Newcastle name John Carver interim manager until end of year]
Hull City haven’t mustered their best form lately, dropping three straight matches up to this point after an excellent victory over Everton on New Year’s Day.
The Tigers sit in danger of relegation at 18th place in the league tables, and any points in this match would help guide Steve Bruce’s side away from the depths of demotion.
[RELATED: Current Premier League standings | Premier League stats]
One target area of Hull in the transfer window has been the forward position, with the aim to bolster depth and scoring possibilities, and rumors linking the club to veterans Diego Forlan and Demba Ba attest to that intention.
Newcastle has trained their transfer eyes on youngsters, while also monitoring the possible departure Moussa Sissoko.
The upcoming match between these two outfits will be available for viewing at 7:00 AM ET on NBCSN, or online via NBC Sports Live Extra.
What they’re saying
Hull City manager Steve Bruce on players recovering from injury for match (Tigers official website): “It looks like we might have some back. We’ve been away for four or five days and managed to get some training into [Nikica] Jelavic, [Abel] Hernandez and [Andrew] Robertson. You can add [Gaston] Ramirez to that list too...It’s not ideal and we’d like another week for all of them if we’re being honest, but as long as they come through training today it looks as though they’ll be ok.”
Newcastle United interim boss John Carver on aims for season in charge (ESPN FC): “I’ve got enough belief in my ability...I think Lee [Charnley, chief executive] has come out and said our goal is to finish in the top 10. If we get ninth, eighth, or seven at a push, why not? We’ve got 16 games left and I’ve seen enough in the last three or four games, taking the cup game out of it, for us to go on a run.”
Match injuries/ absences
In some capacity, Hull City strikers Nikica Jelavic and Abel Hernandez are ready to take the pitch following injury absences. Andrew Robertson and Gaston Ramirez should also be available, while Alex Bruce (thigh) and James Chester (shoulder) are sidelined.
If fit enough to go, Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse will join his side after his country was knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations. The Toons have Mehdi Abeid, Davide Santon and Gabriel Obertan back from injuries, too, as left-back Paul Dummett will probably sit out due to hamstring trouble.
Prediction
Assuming that Hernandez and Jelavic see limited roles in this one, the pacey Magpies have their best opportunity to snag three points since their contest against Burnley at the start of 2015. Hull City 1-2 Newcastle.