West ham United FC v Hull

West Ham United v Hull

Npower Championship
Venue: Upton ParkDate: Saturday 28 April
Coverage: Watch highlights on The Football League Show; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website
Lineup, Bookings (0) & Substitutions (0) .Match Stats Shots
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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce welcomes back on-loan defender George McCartney (concussion) for the visit of Hull.

But the Hammers will be without Nicky Maynard (knee), John Carew (knee) and Joey O'Brien for the must-win clash.

Hull manager Nick Barmby is hoping to include midfielders Robert Koren and Tom Cairney (leg) to his squad.

Wingers Josh King and Robbie Brady are both hoping for recalls but captain Jack Hobbs (knee) and fellow defender Joe Dudgeon remain sidelined.

For the promotion and relegation news as it happens in the Championship this Saturday - follow our new text commentary service Football League Live. It has fixtures, results, as-it-happens tables and regular reports from across the Football League. Saturday, 1100 BST, bbc.co.uk/sport

MATCH PREVIEW
"Fortune's always hiding" as the familiar Hammers refrain goes, but if luck remains elusive on Saturday then it will be the play-offs for West Ham after a season that has been testing and testy in equal measure.

The visit of out-of-contention Hull City is a game West Ham must win, and then hope relegated Coventry can deny Southampton victory at St Mary's. The permutations are complex, but in essence, Sam Allardyce's side almost certainly need to win big to stand any realistic chance of automatic promotion.

HOW WEST HAM CAN GO UP
•West Ham are promoted if they win and Southampton lose to Coventry.
•The Hammers go up if they win by at least four clear goals and Southampton draw.
•If West Ham win by three clear goals and Southampton draw, it goes to goals scored (currently Southampton 81, West Ham 79).

I commentated for Match of the Day on Hull's last visit to West Ham, in the Premier League two years ago - what the Hammers wouldn't give for a repeat of that 3-0 victory, or better still the 7-1 win at this level back in October 1990.

Hull's youthful team travel with nothing tangible to play for. Theirs has been a season of yo-yo inconsistency. Nick Barmby knows his first summer's reshaping must be done on a tight budget, and Tigers fans will be bidding some favourites farewell, among them former Hammer Richard Garcia.

It'll be one of those fantastic radios-pressed-to-ears days, the kind of match we commentators love to be involved with. I for one, can't wait.

And yes, I've packed my abacus.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

• West Ham lead Hull by 16 wins to 10 in their 40 competitive matches.

• The Hammers are unbeaten in four games against Hull and are chasing a third successive win to complete their first double over the Tigers in 76 years.

• Hull's only victory in 12 league visits to Upton Park was 2-1 in January 1990.

West Ham

• They are unbeaten in five (W3, D2), scoring a total of 16 goals in the process.

• Sam Allardyce's side, who boast the biggest average attendance in the division, have lost eight games - fewer than any other club in the Championship.

Hull City

Use accessible player and disable flyout menus• Hull are unbeaten in four games, but without an away win in five.

• They last won the final game of a regular league season in 2004.

• Championship games involving Hull have generated 88 goals - fewer than any other club.