Cody Drameh U-turn at Hull City emerges as Stoke City and Millwall lurk | OneFootball

The right-back is now expected to stay at the MKM Stadium after previous doubts

Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic has revealed that Cody Drameh is now expected to remain at the MKM Stadium after previous doubts over the defender's future emerged at the beginning of the winter transfer window.

The Tigers boss issued such comments following his side's progression in the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers in HU3 on Sunday afternoon, with the club's first victory in the competition since January 2020 setting up a mouth-watering clash against Chelsea, who are now managed by former City cult hero, Liam Rosenior.

The aforementioned clash against Valerien Ismael's side in drab conditions was also Drameh's first involvement in a matchday since the 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town on November 25th.

It was anticipated that the former Leeds United man would have returned to action over the previous weekend of Championship action, but the East Yorkshire side's home clash with Watford was postponed just 18 minutes ahead of kick-off due to player safety concerns at the MKM.

That came after the Bosnian revealed that the London-born full-back was 'unhappy' with his situation at the club, having been utilised as a back-up to captain, Lewie Coyle, after initially starting the season as first-choice due to an injury sustained by his colleague.

Despite his aforementioned absence somewhat owing to a lower back injury, it was reported that a handful of Hull's second tier rivals were looking to pounce on Drameh's previous unhappiness, having also been linked with a move away last summer.

However, whilst Jakirovic has suffered several setbacks in terms of injuries and suspensions to key players in recent weeks, it will be a major boost to him and his squad that Drameh has made a U-turn on his previous decision, and is now set to play his part in an unexpected play-off bid for City between now and the end of the season.

The aforementioned FA Cup clash against Blackburn represented Drameh's 14th appearance of the campaign across all competitions, and just a 10th start of the season for that matter.

With the last of those coming against Derby County on November 4th, the full-back had been reduced to one final substitute cameo of 2025 against Ipswich three weeks later, before being omitted from the squad for the final match of November and the entirety of December.

Drameh had been the subject of exit talk in the summer when the likes of the Rams, Blackburn and Preston North End courted his signature prior to Jakirovic's appointment, before surprise talk emerged of a potential switch to last season's FA Cup winners and UEFA Conference League competitors, Crystal Palace.

However, no exit would materialise for the former Fulham man, who has since endured a mixed campaign on a personal level despite the fact his current employers have been one of the surprise stories of the season, having been hit with a two-window transfer fee restriction by the EFL.

It had emerged that Stoke City, Millwall and Charlton Athletic were looking to strike a deal at the beginning of the current window, whilst Jakirovic relayed previous comments that Drameh was unsatisfied with his predicament, and that the duo would hold talks over the situation.

However, after his first start in two months, Jakirovic has since revealed that whilst a move cannot be ruled out, the defender has reversed his plans for the time being.

"We had a very nice conversation, like always, with Cody and me," said Jakirovic. "This was a good conversation between me and Cody.

"He had some problems with lower back pain, and also after the Ipswich game, he felt a knee issue as well, and now he's back normally with the group.

"He's happy here. He will be here with us. He's our player, and that's it. I'm counting on him, and this is it. Yeah, he told me (he wants to stay," the City boss added.

"I don't know what changed, or even before, so everything was on him. I'm counting on you. Cody is a good player. He can help us, and he has already shown that he can play good, but he has had some injury issues.

"Everyone can go, but we must get an offer because they are under contract, and he has 18 months left on his contract. If someone wants to buy him, OK. We don't have a problem with that because this is normal; it's the market. Like we want some players, and we will see now, but he's here, he's happy, and this is most important for me."

Cody Drameh U-turn will be vital for Hull City amid defensive availability crisis

Such news is a timely boost for the Hull boss, who is lacking in numbers in the defensive department at present.

Drameh's versatility has seen him feature as a right and left-sided defender, whilst the aforementioned Coyle's similar attributes were on show against Blackburn, as the captain moved over to left-back.

Jakirovic is currently without the services of Ryan Giles - who has the joint second-most assists in the Championship - after the left-back suffered a hamstring issue against Middlesbrough on December 29th, whilst Brandon Williams has played just five minutes of league football all season amid reports that he could see his contract terminated early.

Drameh did appear to suffer cramp in the final minutes of his 111-minute outing on Sunday, but it is expected that this has caused no issue for his availability against Southampton this Saturday.