Brentford's push for European football faces a significant test away to Hull City this Sunday, with manager Keith Andrews forced to handle a deepening injury and suspension crisis. The Bees, sitting sixth in the Premier League with 10 points from seven games, travel to Yorkshire without the suspended Vitaly Janelt and Yegor Yarmolyuk, who were sent off in last week's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.

Antoni Milambo is also unavailable due to a match-fitness issue, while Kaye Furo continues his recovery from foot surgery. This leaves the midfield pairing of Mathias Jensen and Mamadou Sangare, a relatively untested combination, with the task of controlling the game against a physical Hull side. Kevin Schade, the club's top scorer this season with three goals, is returning from a shoulder injury and is expected to start in a wide attacking role.

Hull's direct approach

Hull City, currently 10th in the table, are expected to deploy a physical 5-4-1 formation with Oli McBurnie as the focal point. The Tigers average 56 long-ball attempts per match, significantly above the league average, and will look to test Brentford's reshaped defence directly. McBurnie has started all seven of Hull's Premier League games this season, providing a fixed target for their direct play. Mohamed Belloumi, with three goals and two assists, poses the main threat from the flanks.

The home side have their own absences, with Jack Butland, Eliot Matazo, Darko Gyabi and Charlie Hughes all sidelined. Konstantinos Tzolakis will start in goal behind a back three likely to feature John Egan, Semi Ajayi and Lucas Herrington.

Brentford's tactical response

Brentford's probable 4-2-3-1 setup will rely heavily on Mikkel Damsgaard to connect the midfield to the front four of Schade, Jaidon Anthony and Igor Thiago. The central attacking link is vital if Brentford are to turn possession into chances against a compact Hull block. Thiago, who has only scored once this season despite strong underlying numbers, has a strong record against promoted clubs, netting six times in his last six such appearances.

A key battle will be between McBurnie and Brentford's ever-present defender Kristoffer Ajer, who scored in the recent 2-2 draw with Aston Villa. If Ajer can dominate aerially, it will blunt Hull's primary attacking strategy. Brentford also carry a significant threat from set-pieces, generating 0.5 expected goals per match from dead-ball situations, more than double the league average.

Despite their recent form reading LDWWD, Brentford have developed an unfortunate habit of dropping points from winning positions, surrendering an unrivalled 11 points already this season. They also face a historical hurdle, having not won a top-flight match in Yorkshire since 1947, drawing four and losing one of their five Premier League visits. The outcome may hinge on whether Damsgaard can find space to operate and whether Jensen and Sangare can establish control in the engine room. Fans can see the full fixtures list for the weeks ahead. The match kicks off at the MKM Stadium on Sunday.

More detail at bbc.co.uk