Hull City Predicted Lineup vs Brentford: McBurnie Starts in 5-4-1

Hull City predicted XI vs Brentford: McBurnie starts as Jakirovic keeps the 5-4-1

Hull City host Brentford at the MKM Stadium on Sunday at 2pm in the first top-flight meeting between the clubs. Sergej Jakirovic is expected to stick with the 5-4-1 that has kept the Tigers unbeaten at home, despite seven players being unavailable through injury.

Kick-off: 2pm on Sunday at the MKM Stadium
Competition: Premier League — first top-flight meeting between the two clubs
Headline selection: Oli McBurnie leads the line alone in a 5-4-1
Hull injuries: Seven players out, with Mohamed Ali-Cho and Lucas Gourna-Douath back in training
What's at stake: A win lifts Hull above Brentford in the table and ends a five-game winless run
Table: Hull start on nine points, one behind Brentford

Confirmed line-ups

Hull City (5-4-1, predicted)

Starting XI: Konstantinos Tzolakis; Lewie Coyle, Semi Ajayi, John Egan, Lucas Herrington, Ryan Giles; Mohamed Belloumi, Tim Iroegbunam, Regan Slater, Sorba Thomas; Oli McBurnie.

Substitutes: Not confirmed in the source. The confirmed teams will be published an hour before kick-off.

Brentford

Brentford's predicted side is set out separately in the source's Brentford lineup for this fixture and is not reproduced here. The confirmed teams will be published an hour before the start.

Selection notes

With Charlie Hughes and Nobel Mendy both out, the back five picks itself. It is the same defensive unit that started the 2-2 draw with Everton at the MKM Stadium a fortnight ago. Ryan Giles and Lewie Coyle operate as wing-backs, with Semi Ajayi, John Egan and Lucas Herrington as the three centre-backs.

In front of that back five, Mohamed Belloumi and Sorba Thomas take the wide midfield roles, with Regan Slater and Tim Iroegbunam in the centre. Matt Crooks is the alternative to Iroegbunam if Jakirovic wants a more physical pairing against Brentford's midfield. McBurnie leads the line on his own, as he has done all season.

Injury and availability

Jack Butland: out with an elbow injury
Matt Targett: out with an ankle problem
Charlie Hughes: out with a groin injury
Darko Gyabi: out with a groin injury
Nobel Mendy: out with a groin injury; due back in training on Monday, with the home game against Ipswich Town on 31 October the target for his squad return
Eliot Matazo: out with a knee injury
Ilyas Ansah: out with a back problem
Mohamed Ali-Cho: back in training after missing the last two games and in contention for the squad
Lucas Gourna-Douath: back in training after missing the last two games and in contention for the squad
Robinio Vaz: has avoided any lasting damage from the tackle that brought Ryan Sessegnon's red card at Fulham last weekend

The numbers

9: Hull City's points total heading into the weekend
1: point separating Hull from Brentford, who sit on ten
5: league games without a win for Hull
1: point taken from Hull's last three games
3: unbeaten home games for Hull this season — one win, two draws
2: clean sheets in those three home games
13: league goals scored by Brentford, the fourth-highest total in the division
3: away draws for Brentford this season — all of their away games
7: Hull players currently out injured

Why the 5-4-1 block is Jakirovic's best weapon here

Hull's home plan has been consistent all season: a compact 5-4-1, low possession, and Oli McBurnie's aerial presence as the outlet. Mohamed Belloumi is the player most likely to turn a second ball into an attack, which is why the wide midfield roles matter as much as the back five. The block is designed to make the MKM Stadium hard to break down, and the clean-sheet record at home backs that up.

The specific opportunity on Sunday is Brentford's reshaped midfield. The visitors arrive with both first-choice central midfielders suspended, which opens space at the edges of their midfield unit. That is where Jakirovic will want Regan Slater and Tim Iroegbunam to press and where Belloumi and Sorba Thomas can attack the channels.

The second opening is set pieces. McBurnie against a back four missing its usual screen is a match-up Jakirovic will target directly. Brentford have scored 13 league goals — the fourth-highest total in the division — but they have drawn all three of their away games, and the absence of that midfield screen blunts their ability to protect the defence from second phases. Matt Crooks is the obvious like-for-like option if Jakirovic decides the physical battle needs reinforcing, but Iroegbunam's mobility is the better fit against a midfield that has been stitched together.

Hull's recent league form is the counterweight: one point from three games, winless in five, and a 1-0 defeat at Fulham last Saturday in which they did not manage a shot on target. The home record — one win and two draws, with two clean sheets — is what separates this fixture from that run. Keeping the same defensive unit that started the Everton draw is a deliberate choice to protect that record.

Talking points

Should Jakirovic start Matt Crooks over Tim Iroegbunam to win the physical midfield battle, or does that sacrifice the mobility Hull need against a reshaped Brentford engine room?
Hull have not managed a shot on target in their last away game, so is McBurnie as a lone outlet enough at home, or does Belloumi need a second forward alongside him?
Is a five-game winless run being masked by an unbeaten home record, and does a draw here leave Hull looking over their shoulder rather than up the table?
With Robinio Vaz cleared of lasting damage, does he deserve minutes off the bench to give Brentford's makeshift midfield something different to deal with?

What happens next

Kick-off at the MKM Stadium is at 2pm on Sunday, with the confirmed teams published an hour before the start. A win lifts Hull above Brentford and ends the five-game wait for a league victory; anything less leaves Jakirovic's side relying on their home resilience while the away form continues to drag. Mendy's return to training on Monday and a targeted squad comeback against Ipswich Town on 31 October give the injury list a clear end point.

Frequently asked questions

Is Oli McBurnie starting for Hull City vs Brentford?

Yes. McBurnie is predicted to lead the line on his own in the 5-4-1, as he has done all season.

Who is injured for Hull City against Brentford?

Seven players are out: Jack Butland (elbow), Matt Targett (ankle), Charlie Hughes, Darko Gyabi and Nobel Mendy (all groin), Eliot Matazo (knee) and Ilyas Ansah (back).