Hull boss Mike Phelan welcomes return of 'leader' Michael Dawson for Stoke visit
Hull captain Michael Dawson will be involved for the first time this season against Stoke on Saturday and his timely return to Premier League action cannot come soon enough for boss Mike Phelan.
Centre-half Dawson, 32, has been sidelined since damaging medial knee ligaments in the summer and his comeback has coincided with news left-back Andy Robertson has been ruled out for eight weeks with a calf injury.
Phelan, yet to appoint a new assistant following Stephen Clemence's departure to team up with Steve Bruce at Aston Villa, tapped into Dawson's wealth of experience by having his skipper alongside him in a coaching capacity for last week's 6-1 thumping at Bournemouth.
"Michael is available now," Phelan said. "He experienced sitting on the bench last week. He doesn't want to experience that again but, yes, he's available for selection.
"You want leaders in your team, you want experience and Michael certainly carries a lot of that.
"He's trained all week. He's ready, he's available and I'm sure he will feature in the game."
Dawson's return is warmly welcomed by Phelan, whose side's encouraging start back in the top flight has been erased by five defeats and a draw in their last six league matches.
Hull have shipped 17 goals in their last four and Phelan was dealt another blow this week the news defender Moses Odubajo, working his way back from reconstructive knee surgery, will be out for another six months after fracturing his patella in a non-contact incident during training.
But Phelan insists he nor his players have been feeling sorry for themselves.
"I don't see why we should be fragile," he said. "We learn hard lessons and we've certainly learned a few over the last few weeks.
"But character has to come into it. We're in the big league and the big league demands that your big players turn up, perform and if we do that, more times than not we'll win football matches."
Mark Hughes believes the years served under Sir Alex Ferguson will stand Phelan, his former Manchester United team-mate, in good stead at Hull.
Phelan was on the coaching staff at United for 14 years during Ferguson's reign, spending five years as the Scot's assistant, and Hughes believes the 54-year-old has plenty of experience to draw on to make a success of his first managerial role.
"He's a great guy and I'm really pleased he's got the opportunity," said Hughes, who played with Phelan for five years at United, with the pair winning the Premier League title, FA Cup, Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup together during the early-1990s.
"He obviously wouldn't have wanted his first game to go like that and get beaten so comprehensively but he's a good coach and a good guy and he had an immediate impact when he first got the role after Steve Bruce left so he's clearly well thought of there, so given time he'll stamp his mark on the team.
"I think he'll be good for them."
After getting a first league win of the season against Sunderland last weekend, Hughes will be looking to record back-to-back victories - and in the process notch Stoke's 100th Premier League win since achieving promotion to the top flight in 2008.
"They lost heavily last week and they will want a reaction, clearly," said Hughes. "But it's difficult on the back of a heavy defeat because you have to pick yourself up as a group and individuals, and it depends if they can do that.
"I think it's an opportunity for us if we can ask questions of them. If there is an issue with confidence and it is fragile then hopefully we can act on that and it will help us in our own aims for the game."
Hughes will check on the fitness of right-back Phil Bardsley after a hamstring problem forced him to be substituted against Sunderland.
Source: PAR
