WHEN Robert Snodgrass fell to the Loftus Road turf under an innocuous challenge on the opening day of the season, the tone for Hull City's season was set.
The £7m summer signing had only lasted 40 minutes of his Premier League debut for the Tigers before dislocating his patella and, in the process, snapping ligaments in his left knee. The latest update this week confirmed the Scot will not play again this season.
Snodgrass' cruel lay-off has denied Steve Bruce the chance to field what he regards as his strongest side throughout this term, but if only the bad luck had ended there. The 2014-15 campaign is fast becoming synonymous with injuries for City.
Another damaging chapter last weekend, which saw both Nikica Jelavic and Abel Hernandez limp off at West Brom, will leave Bruce without at least six first-team stars for Sunday's trip to West Ham United. If 50-50 shots Sone Aluko and Gaston Ramirez fail to make it, too, that figure will be up at eight.
Given City are only working with a squad of 23 senior outfield players at present, over a third could be unavailable at Upton Park. Big players, as well. Roughly £31m-worth of talent.
The walking wounded are hurting City's season and have done for the majority of it. Barring the opening months of the campaign, a time when Bruce was struggling to name a bench for very different reasons, the year has been pock-marked by injuries.
Snodgrass is one of 13 first-team players to have been absent at one stage or another. Nine of those have been serious enough to miss at least a month of the campaign.
Include rookie Brian Lenihan, who was injured while out on loan at Blackpool, and the list stretches into double figures.
Suspensions have not helped, either. James Chester, Gaston Ramirez, Stephen Quinn, Jake Livermore, Tom Huddlestone and Yannick Sagbo have sat out a combined 13 games when banned domestically this season.
Continuity has been impossible in the circumstances and, again, at least two changes will be enforced for this weekend's date in the capital.
Maynor Figueroa, who once appeared destined for the exit door, became the 28th different player to feature for City in the Premier League this season when starting at West Brom last weekend. A more settled term saw the Tigers used 27 in all of 2013-14.
"It's been the story of the season so far and certainly we need that luck to turn around," said Bruce after the 1-0 loss at the Hawthorns. And he must hope the tide is close to turning.
Provided rehabs go to plan in the coming weeks, Andy Robertson, Jelavic and Hernandez should all join Ramirez and Aluko in returning to fitness by the middle of next month.
The timing could be vital for a cluster of games as inviting as any on City's calendar. Starting with the visit of Aston Villa on February 10, the Tigers face QPR, Stoke, Sunderland and Leicester in a handful of games that will inevitably have a huge bearing on their survival prospects.
The big one to provide Bruce with a lift could be Diame.
City have no other midfielders to offer a goal threat like the Senegal captain and his prolonged absence that began for the 0-0 draw with West Brom last month has stripped back the Tigers' potency.
The tendinitis in his knee required him to wear a brace for a month but there is cautious hope he might not be too far away from a comeback, having been given the green light to step up his involvement this week.
City are due some good news from the treatment room and Bruce will cling to the hope it is continually delivered between now and May 24.
Hull City's tale of injury woeHull City's tale of injury woe
August 16: Robert Snodgrass (dislocated knee) Games missed: 41 (estimate)
August 16: Alex Bruce (knee) Games missed: 1
September 27: Allan McGregor (shoulder damage) Games missed: 5
October 18: Nikica Jelavic (knee ligaments) Games missed: 4
October 18: Steve Harper (torn bicep) Games missed: 2
October 18: Michael Dawson (ankle) Games missed: 3
October 18: Andy Robertson (ankle) Games missed: 1
October 25: Alex Bruce (hamstring strain) Games missed: 3
November 8: Mohamed Diame (knee ligaments) Games missed: 1
November 29: Steve Harper (torn bicep) Games missed: 6
December 3: Mohamed Diame (knee ligaments) Games missed: 8
December 15: Michael Dawson (torn hamstring) Games missed: 6
January 1: Andy Robertson (ankle) Games missed: 4 (estimate)
January 1: Liam Rosenior (torn hamstring) Games missed: 11-13 (estimate)
January 1: Gaston Ramirez (groin strain) Games missed: 2
January 1: James Chester (knee) Games missed: 1
January 4: Sone Aluko (calf strain) Games missed: 1
January 10: Nikica Jelavic (knee ligaments) Games missed: 2-5 (estimate)
January 10: Abel Hernandez (groin strain) Games missed: 3-5 (estimate)
