HARRY Maguire may have been a fringe player at Hull City so far, but he will now have to step into the limelight and prove what he can do, writes Peter Swan.
Having seen injuries bite in recent weeks, and yesterday's 2-0 win over Everton, City's squad is being tested to its limits.
That saw Maguire brought on for the last half-hour against the Toffees as a replacement for Liam Rosenior and he impressed in a cool display.
Not only did he deal with the threat of Romelu Lukaku and Arouna Kone, he seemed to be an instant hit with the City fans, which always helps your confidence as a player.
Maguire is only 21 and still learning the game to an extent, but he will probably be in the starting line-up when the Tigers travel to Arsenal in the FA Cup this weekend.
With Michael Dawson still not fully fit and Rosenior picking up a hamstring strain yesterday, Maguire will surely come into Steve Bruce's thinking.
Injuries always seem to crop up at this time of the season as the games come thick and fast, but City should still have enough to deal with what's thrown at them.
Whilst Rosenior will be missed, his hamstring problem could open the door for Paul McShane to come back into the fray. Stephen Quinn is also available again after a ban.
Bruce will want to rest players who have played a lot of games recently, but not if it hinders their chance of winning.
Abel Hernandez suffered cramp and was exhausted at the end of the win over Everton, so he may have to settle for a place on the bench.
Gaston Ramirez came off with a groin problem and the game may come too soon for him.
Tom Ince, Yannick Sagbo and Sone Aluko were all unused subs yesterday and will also offer Bruce decent replacements in attack.
