STEVE Bruce admits Nick Proschwitz is working his way into Premier League contention after booking Hull City's place in the League Cup fourth round for the first time in 36 years. Proschwitz pounced on the hour mark with a resounding finish as the Tigers beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 in a tight third round encounter.
After recently scoring five goals in two games for the reserves, last summer's £2.6m signing opened his first-team account for the season with another reminder of his predatory instinct.
Patience will still be needed before he is rewarded with a Premier League debut, but Bruce was pleased to see Proschwitz up and running after pledging to fight for his chance.
"The one thing the kid can do is score a goal. When the opportunity arises, you expect him to score," said Bruce.
"That part of the game is so easy for him. It's the other part (his physical game) that has to improve. We'll work on that. Certainly he's better than he was 12 months ago but he still has to adapt.
"He's part of a 25-man squad. I wanted him to go out somewhere but he didn't go. The more he plays and the more he scores, then good for him."
Proschwitz's strike sent City into the last 16 in tonight's draw. It is the Tigers' best run in the competition since 1977-78, but Bruce said: "I'll continue to make changes because I'm not going to be sidetracked to get a cup run.
"They're very nice but my priority is to keep this club in the Premier League. People ask me why we change the team but we've lost key players recently. Add one or two more to that and we're in trouble. We haven't got that strength in depth."
Bruce confirmed James Chester faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines with his hamstring injury but Maynor Figueroa is expected back to face West Ham United on Saturday.
