MICHAEL Dawson is confident Hull City have the strength to cope with a sudden bout of injuries as they prepare to face Liverpool this weekend.
Having gone through the opening months of the season missing only Robert Snodgrass to a dislocated knee, Steve Bruce could be without another four players for the trip to Anfield.
Allan McGregor has missed the last two Premier League games with a shoulder complaint and he has now been joined in the treatment room by Dawson (ankle), Steve Harper (bicep) and Nikica Jelavic (knee) following a costly 2-2 draw at Arsenal on Saturday.
All three of the Tigers' new injury victims are awaiting results from scans yesterday but Dawson has every faith the options available to Bruce can ease any worries.
"The only disappointment (from the weekend) was the injuries we picked up but that is where the squad comes in. We overcame those against Arsenal," said Dawson.
"You need a good squad because injuries come along and the
manager has built that now. We pick ourselves up and see how we are but there is strength in depth to cope."
On his own injury, Dawson said: "We will have to see how it is in the week. I tried to play on. I got back on the pitch but the swelling was already coming up.
"I love playing, which is why the ankle injury is so frustrating. Hopefully, it won't be too bad. I am loving my time and this is a great club with great lads and a great gaffer. You can't ask for a lot more than that. We also have a good team striving to be successful."
Details are expected to come on City's walking wounded today once scan results become clear.
Harper's injury is thought to be serious enough for him to miss the Liverpool game, paving the way for Eldin Jakupovic to deputise in goal, while Bruce also gave little hope of Jelavic featuring after he broke down in the warm-up to the Arsenal game.
Sone Aluko and Tom Ince, both of whom failed to travel to the capital, will be under consideration for Saturday if the worst fears over Jelavic's knee are confirmed.
Dawson's possible absence would leave the door ajar for either Alex Bruce or Paul McShane. Given Dawson's form, however, it would come as a blow to City.
The 30-year-old was labelled "immense" by his manager before he was forced off at the Emirates, where Dawson then watched on helplessly as City conceded late on.
"I was in the dressing room with my foot in the ice bucket when the equaliser went in. I saw it on television and was obviously gutted for everyone," he said.
"The lads had been fantastic all the way through and worked their socks off. When you go to a place like the Emirates, you have to defend well and we knew that.
"I felt we showed great character as a team. It was just disappointing when 2-1 up so late on that we couldn't hold on. The way we came back from 1-0 was a big thing and it was unfortunate we couldn't get those three points.
"But, if you had offered us a point before going to London then we would have taken it. Definitely."
