PAUL McShane is facing a battle to prove his fitness ahead of Hull City's home game with Huddersfield this weekend, despite x-rays on his leg injury revealing no break.
The 26-year-old defender was forced off during the first half of Saturday's 2-1 win at Watford after a heavy collision and underwent scans on his return to East Yorkshire.
Initial fears of a fractured fibia have been allayed but with no definitive diagnosis currently available, City will check on McShane's fitness again tomorrow following a day of rest today.
Despite McShane's outstanding recent form in Steve Bruce's three-man defence, the Tigers will take no risks in Saturday's derby at the KC.
A busy Christmas period will see City face five games in 18 days up to January 1 and with the option of turning to the fit-again Jack Hobbs and the experienced Abdoulaye Faye, Bruce will be loath to push McShane into starting against the Terriers.
McShane will perhaps be the last person to rule himself out of featuring, though.
The Republic of Ireland defender made the most of his own opportunities when claiming his place back in the City side in early October and he is well aware he could suffer at the hands of last year's captain Hobbs if he misses out against Huddersfield.
Hobbs earned the praise of Bruce as a 27th- minute substitute at Vicarage Road, when capitalising on his first league appearance since March following knee ligament surgery, and heightens an already competitive area of the Tigers' squad.
Bruce has no other injury concerns troubling him, but several fringe players missed out on valuable game time when the reserves' trip to Grimsby was postponed yesterday afternoon.
Tom Cairney, who joined Hobbs in returning to the City bench at Watford, had been pencilled in to feature as he looks to sharpen his match fitness after three months out with a knee injury.
