Get the latest Hull City stories straight to your inbox with our new newsletter Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Hull City head coach Nigel Adkins believes Matt Connolly can provide the experience his defence needs ahead of undergoing a medical at the KCOM Stadium.

The Cardiff City centre-back is due in East Yorkshire on Monday morning to tie up the formalities of a loan move and, barring any complications, will become the Tigers ’ first signing of the January window.

Adkins has been in the market for a new defender after seeing Tommy Elphick recalled by Aston Villa late last month and believes he has found the right man to fill that void.

“I’m hoping he’s going to get a medical done on Monday,” said Adkins.

“Where we are, I feel we just need to cover ourselves. We did it with Tommy Elphick, to help nurture the young players coming through.

“Matthew Connolly has been promoted out of the Championship five times. He’s a good man, a good sort. He just hasn’t been having football at this moment in time.

“He’s reliable and his experience just adds to the group that we need.”

Connolly, who has won promotions out of the Championship with QPR, Reading, Watford and Cardiff, is unlikely to be hurried into the fray given the form of Jordy de Wijs and Reece Burke, who helped City to record a third straight clean sheet in the 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

The new boy will first have to prove his match fitness ahead of next weekend’s trip to Aston Villa and Adkins is not ruling out adding further new faces to his in-form squad.

“We’re working very hard,” said Adkins. “I was with the owner again on Friday and we’re working very hard to see if we can make things happen.

“We all know that it’s sometimes easier said than done but maybe where we are now we can set our sights differently on the players we’re after. We have to capitalise on the moment we’re in.

“Beforehand maybe it was about the sustainability and the uncertainty of where the club was going but we’ve put ourselves in the race.

“Through this transfer window we’ve got to maximise the opportunity.”