Hull get ready for Capello Premiership visit

Hull City's stunning start to life in the English Premier League is finally about to receive the seal of approval from Fabio Capello.

The Tigers' KC Stadium home ground is one of the few top-flight venues yet to see a visit from the England manager on his regular scouting missions up and down the country.

Hull have confounded the many critics who tipped them for an immediate return to the second-tier Championship, following their play-off promotion in May, by cementing a top-six position almost half-way through the campaign thanks partly to high-profile away wins over Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

And as a belated reward, Phil Brown's team have been told to expect an imminent visit by the Italian to see for himself what all the fuss is about.

Saturday's visit by Premier League rivals Sunderland might come too soon for England prospect Michael Turner to press his claims in front of the national boss.

But the Football Association confirmed the 62-year-old expects to soon add Hull to his collection of grounds after racking up almost 100 games already this season.

“Fabio assures Hull City fans that he plans to watch Phil Brown's team in person very soon,” an FA spokesman said.

Hull chairman Paul Duffen has set his sights on the club's first-ever European campaign if they can maintain their impressive start in the second half of the season.

Despite just one victory in the last eight games, a UEFA Cup spot next year is the aim, and Duffen insisted: “The focus now has to be on qualifying for Europe. We're sixth in the Premier League in the middle of December and just two games away from the halfway point of the season.

“It would be strange if we weren't thinking of finishing sixth at the end of the campaign.” On Capello's impending visit, Duffen – whose side are in thee first top-flight season in Hull's history, added: “We'd be happy to accommodate the England manager if he wanted to watch us at the KC.”

Sunderland caretaker manager Ricky Sbragia takes charge of his third consecutive game with chairman Niall Quinn insisting he's in no rush to appoint a successor to Roy Keane, the Irishman who resigned more than two weeks ago.

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan and former West Ham boss Alan Curbishley remain top of a Sunderland short-list which also includes Sbragia, while the agent of former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini has urged Quinn to get in touch with his client to discuss the vacant role.

Kenwyne Jones followed his Sunderland team-mate Marton Fulop in backing Sbragia's claims to take the role full-time after the Scot's impressive temporary stint at the helm.

The Trinidad and Tobago forward said: “We've been working with Ricky and he has our respect.

“He's trying to take the club and the team forward and the only thing you could do would be to be happy for him if he was made permanent manager, but we know a new manager could come in.”

Brown is without Paul McShane, the Sunderland defender who is barred from playing under the terms of his loan from the Stadium of Light, but the Hull manager reports no fresh injury worries for a game that will attract a sell-out crowd of 25,400 as the Black Cats look for a victory to lift them out of the bottom three.

Their Northern Ireland defender George McCartney is sidelined until February after undergoing surgery on both feet, while a persistent ankle problem keeps Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon out until early in the New Year.