Wolverhampton-Hull City Preview

Jan 28, 2010 - 6:20 PM CHRIS TUPLING STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Kevin Doyle is backing Wolverhampton strike partner Sylvain Ebanks-Blake to end his seven-hour goal drought at relegation rivals Hull on Saturday.

Ebanks-Blake was Wolves' leading scorer as they won promotion from the Championship last season.

The former England under-21 international's only goal this season was a penalty against Aston Villa in September.

Ebanks-Blake was dropped from the squad for the first time in his Molineux career for Tuesday's 0-0 draw at home to Liverpool.

Republic of Ireland striker Doyle said: "The manager has told us everyone is going to be involved with three games in a week, and come Saturday he'll be back involved playing.

"Sylvan has played every game since he's been back from injury so I'm sure he needed a rest as well.

"He is a proven goalscorer and I am sure it is only a matter of time before things start dropping for him."

Wolves are the Premier League's lowest scorers with only 17 goals from 22 games.

Doyle said: "If we were scoring loads of goals we wouldn't be in the position we're in.

"There are plenty of other teams lacking goals and that's how it's going to be if you're in the bottom half of the table.

"That record just gives us something to aim for in the second-half of the season. We're out of the bottom three so we're doing alright."

Egyptian striker Amr Zaki has given Hull's survival hopes a boost by declaring himself fit to make his debut.

Former Wigan player Zaki has been sidelined by a hamstring injury since joining the Tigers on loan from El Zamalek earlier this month.

Zaki scored ten goals in his first ten games at Wigan and Hull manager Phil Brown is hoping he will make a similar impact at the KC Stadium.

Brown, whose side are eight games without a win, plans to break Zaki back into things gently after his seven-week lay off.

Brown said: "He certainly looks hungry; he's got that glint in his eye.

"There seems to be that fire in the belly that we saw when he first came into English football with Wigan last season, and that's the Amr Zaki that we want to see.

"He'll be training all week and he'll probably be pushing for a place on the bench.

"He met up with his team-mates on Friday and he's looked sharp.

"He knows what it takes to be a success in the Premier League and he knows what it takes to score goals at this level.

"But getting up to the pace of the Premier League will be difficult and it might need us to introduce him from the bench to begin with until he gets up to speed again."

Hull will again be without talismanic midfielder Jimmy Bullard, who is struggling with his recovery from a knee ligaments injury.

Brown added: "We are all desperate to see Jimmy back in the team but we cannot rush him."