Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirović has acknowledged a Liam Millar availability concern after the 26-year-old winger made his comeback for City and then linked up with Canada for matches against Australia and Colombia.
Millar returned from a knee ligament injury sustained in a draw with Burnley last October, featuring against Preston North End last Tuesday and then another half-hour in the win over Sheffield United on Saturday.
He has been called by Jesse Marsch for games in Montreal on Saturday and New Jersey on Wednesday as Canada build towards next summer’s World Cup.
“By FIFA rules” — Jakirović on release
Millar’s swift return to international action comes less than 2 weeks after his first club appearance in almost a year, but Jakirović confirmed there was little he could do to hold the player back.
The Hull boss explained that international duty is mandatory under FIFA regulations and said he fully understands Millar’s desire to rejoin his national team as they prepare for a World Cup year.
“You cannot stop him (from going so early). This is by FIFA rules, and he’s also buzzing to join them. It’s because of the World Cup, and I completely understand this.”
“It’s not easy to play in the World Cup, so I hope everything will be fine. We sent one email to their fitness coach. They know everything about his conditions, and I hope everything will be good. He feels fine. I feel fine, so everything is good.”
Minutes matter after long lay-off
After almost a year out, Hull City want Millar to continue building minutes rather than train without game time during the international window. Jakirović was clear that competitive action would best serve the player’s recovery and City’s upcoming schedule.
“Normally, my opinion is that when they’re going, they play something. If they are 10 days there without any minutes (that’s a problem).
“Training sessions with the national teams are nothing like ours, just 2k or 3k of running, which is nothing, so at least you have some minutes in the official games.”
Busy spell ahead for City
City face a block of 6 games in 3 weeks between the October and November breaks, starting away at Birmingham City on Saturday week. With Mohamed Belloumi and others also in the mix, the staff are balancing reintegration with the demands of a dense Championship schedule.
Millar’s return provides another option for the wide roles, with the club keen to manage workload across the front line. City will monitor his minutes with Canada and assess him on return to the MKM Stadium ahead of the post-break fixtures.
Writer’s View
City have handled Millar’s reintroduction sensibly, and the Canada call makes sense if it includes controlled minutes. The key line from Jakirović is about avoiding a 10-day training block without games — rhythm is vital after such a long lay-off.
With 6 fixtures in 3 weeks looming, any international minutes should be carefully managed and followed by a clear load plan back at City.
If Millar comes through unscathed, his 1v1 threat and direct running add variety to the Tigers’ wide options at a time when depth could decide tight Championship games.
