Gelhardt starts: The predicted Hull City XI to face Middlesbrough in play-off final | OneFootball

FLW has predicted Sergej Jakirovic's XI for the Tigers ahead of Saturday's play-off final

Hull City have wrapped up their preparations for Saturday's critical Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium, with Middlesbrough lying in wait.

The Tigers have never come closer to a Premier League return in the past nine years since they were relegated under Marco Silva, with a fall into League One for a solitary season also occurring throughout their current exile.

After returning to the Championship's play-off places in dramatic fashion on the final day of the regular season, Sergej Jakirovic's men defeated third-placed Millwall over two legs in the semi-finals, with the decisive strikes from Mohamed Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt coming with less than 30 minutes to play in the second of those at The Den 11 days ago.

The well-documented spygate saga, which saw Southampton expelled from the play-offs - a decision which was later upheld - has seen the Bosnian and his team switch their focus to Boro within recent days, as they count down the hours until the richest game in club football gets underway in North London.

For once, Jakirovic also has no unexpected injury concerns, with such circumstances being a recurring theme this season, and Football League World have predicted what his starting XI could be against Kim Hellberg's outfit.

GK: Ivor Pandur

Ivor Pandur has played in all but one of City's regular-season Championship and play-off matches, and is set to continue that trend at Wembley.

The Croatian's season is extremely mixed in terms of stats, though, having kept 13 clean sheets despite also conceding 65 goals in the process.

CB: Semi Ajayi

Jakirovic switched to a back-three formation at The Den in a bid to isolate Josh Coburn, and the addition of Semi Ajayi to that rearguard certainly paid off.

The ex-West Bromwich Albion man has endured a mixed first season at the MKM Stadium, but he will be hoping for a similar impact against the likes of David Strelec on Saturday.

CB: John Egan

John Egan has been one of the most underrated defenders in this season's Championship, and he will also hope to put his two-time promotion experience to good use in North London.

Former Tigers boss, Phil Brown, also managed the Irishman at Southend United, and spoke exclusively about his all-round attributes ahead of the final with FLW, after his three goals this term.

CB: Charlie Hughes

Making up the centre-back trio is the highly-rated Charlie Hughes.

The 22-year-old was recalled to the starting lineup for the final day victory over Norwich City after a period without any minutes since the draw with Oxford United on Easter Monday.

Further showcasing Hughes' commitment to the cause, as well as his potential, it has been widely reported that he is currently playing with a double hernia.

RWB: Lewie Coyle

Lewie Coyle is currently the Tigers' longest-serving player and captain, having lifted the League One trophy under Grant McCann five years ago.

The Hull-born man has already spoken about the pride he will feel in leading his hometown club out at Wembley for just a fifth time in club history, although Jakirovic will certainly be glad to have the back-up option of Cody Drameh available once more depending on how the match unfolds.

CM: Regan Slater

Making up half of the central midfield area is Regan Slater, who won a hat-trick of awards at the club's end-of-season ceremony for his output and combativeness.

It has been well-documented that the 26-year-old set Hull back just £50,000 from Sheffield United in a permanent deal four-and-a-half years ago, and it could end up with him being a division above his boyhood club next season.

CM: Matt Crooks

Slater and Matt Crooks were two of City's strongest performers against the Lions in the semi-finals, even though, at times, a double-pivot of the duo hasn't always worked to full effect.

The 32-year-old set up Belloumi's 64th-minute strike in South London also, and will hope to cause his former side plenty of issues in a highly-anticipated midfield battle against the likes of Aidan Morris and, potentially, Hayden Hackney.

LWB: Ryan Giles

Another ex-Boro man looking to cause maximum damage is Ryan Giles, who has provided eight assists this season for the Tigers.

The 26-year-old's two spells at the Riverside Stadium were certainly mixed, with the first of those resulting in a play-off semi-final defeat to Coventry City, but he will hope luck is on his side this time around.

RW: Mohamed Belloumi

One change which you would assume takes place is the introduction of Belloumi from the start, with his 46-minute cameo in SE16 proving to be nothing short of pivotal for Jakirovic's side.

Although he replaced the unfortunate Kyle Joseph, who will miss out with a serious ankle issue, the Algerian reminded everyone of his qualities both on and off the ball, in particular his stunning curling strike past Anthony Patterson and the assist for Gelhardt 14 minutes later.

LW: Joe Gelhardt

Liam Millar struggled to get going over the semi-finals, meaning in this predicted lineup, Gelhardt gets the nod on the left-wing, even though he has very rarely featured from said position in recent months.

That said, the 24-year-old's versatility and goalscoring prowess - particularly when full of confidence - have made a real difference to Hull, who have been the most clinical side in the division, as statistics claim they should be in the relegation zone based on xG.