City welcome back duo
Manchester City are injury-free ahead of Hull's Premier League visit with midfielder Samir Nasri and defender Eliaquim Mangala back in the squad.
Nasri has missed the last three games with a calf injury while Mangala had a shoulder problem.
Yaya Toure and new signing Wilfried Bony remain on international duty with the Ivory Coast at the African Nations Cup.
City are five points behind leaders Chelsea, but boss Manuel Pellegrini believes his side are confident of repeating their last two title triumphs when they came from behind to secure the trophy, especially having emerged with a share of the points and their reputation enhanced against Jose Mourinho's team at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
"When you have to play 45 points more, you can close the gap. Of course you can do it," Pellegrini said.
"But is important for our team to try to be near the top of the table as soon as you can and the only thing you can do is to improve your performance, to repeat what we did in December and wait until Chelsea and all the teams drop points.
"The last two times this team won the title was coming from behind, so I suppose we can do it for a third time."
Hull boss Steve Bruce has dismissed speculation that his job may be under threat and vowed to fight on in a bid to rescue the Tigers from the relegation zone.
Last week's abject 3-0 home defeat to Newcastle was the club's third in succession and left them rooted in the bottom three.
But, after a week which saw the arrivals of Lokomotiv Moscow striker Dame N'Doye and new assistant boss Mike Phelan, Bruce is confident he has got the backing required to help him beat the drop.
Bruce said: "The one thing I'll never do is take anything for granted and, with the expectation we have built up at this club, we are now in the bottom three and that is a problem.
"But I think if I was in trouble the chairman would tell me. He has backed me with a new assistant manager and a forward so if he was going to get rid of me I think he'd have done it before I brought them in.
"I can't worry about it. If it happens it's not my decision, but one thing's for sure - we've worked extremely hard for the last couple of years and I am not going to give it up without a fight."
Bruce conceded it is "very unlikely" N'Doye will be in a position to make his debut against the champions as he remains in Paris while officials seek to sort out his work permit and international clearance.
Nikica Jelavic is a doubt as he continues to struggle with a knee injury but there is promising news on influential midfielder Mohamed Diame, whom Bruce hopes to have back in action by the end of the month.
Source: PA
