The Tigers travel to Ewood Park this evening, bouyed by a sudden upturn in form and some useful results elsewhere last night. City will begin the evening in 15th place, a handy three points ahead of the bottom three and with the possibility of ending the night in 13th with a victory.

Not that it’ll be easy. City haven’t beaten Blackburn in any of our three Premier League attempts, and may need to cope without the recently-inspirational George Boateng. He’s struggling after sustaining cramp towards the end of City’s stirring victory over Manchester City on Saturday, and he may be joined on the injury list by Andy Dawson – he took a knock in the same match and may be replaced by Kevin Kilbane at left-back.

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Manchester City, complete with ludicrous scarves, wronged full backs and amusing desperation to be regarded as a member of the Premier League elite, visit the Circle tomorrow as City aim for a third consecutive home game without defeat.

Phil Brown has little reason to change the Hull City starting XI for the game after the riproaring display against Chelsea in midweek, which means Kamil Zayatte may have to play second fiddle to the in-form Steven Mouyokolo for a central defensive spot again. If a change is made, it will most likely involve Amr Zaki making his full debut up front in place of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

Geovanni is missing the chance to face his old club thanks to a medial ligament strain and so attacking options from the bench will be a little more limited. Seyi Olofinjana has returned after a month of watching the Africa Cup of Nations but any lack of match practice will probably not prevent him from being named among the subs.

Wayne Bridge is expected to return from injury for the visitors, leading to an interesting scenario as to what E1 to E6 will sing his way, given the barrage of critical sonnets bellowed towards John Terry in midweek. One suspects that savaging Terry in tuneless manner should not make one assume that they will be sympathetic towards Bridge. Especially when he takes a throw-in or tackles Craig Fagan right in front of them.

Kamil Zayatte should be fit to return to the Hull City defence tonight as the Tigers take on Premier League favourites Chelsea at the Circle in a game rearranged from the snowbound first fortnight of 2010.

It would be harsh on Steven Mouyokolo, who claimed the ‘accolade’ of least unimpressive defender in the wasteful 2-2 draw with Wolves three days ago, but ultimately Phil Brown is unlikely to drop his calamitous captain Anthony Gardner and yet still needs Zayatte to return. It says a lot when Zayatte, very talented but with a capacity to go utterly hatstand, is now regarded as the more secure of the back pairing.

Elsewhere, it would be a harsh manager who drops Tom Cairney after a resourceful debut against Wolves but there may be a need to stuff the midfield with more bite against considerably more gifted opposition, unless Brown chooses to drop one of Jozy Altidore or Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink up front and go for 4-5-1, which would maintain Cairney’s spot. If he does this, expect the unlucky half of a promising strike duo to be immeasurably indignant, and fear for his cat when he gets home. Then there’s Amr Zaki, bright as a sub on Saturday but evidently not match fit.

So we don’t know, really.

City haven’t won since doing over Everton in the last midweek fixture to be played at the KC, as if that could act as any kind of omen. They haven’t beaten Chelsea since 1988-89 and have lost heavily on numerous occasions at home in the last two decades against the west Londoners in Cups and, last season, in the Premier League. Chelsea have, however, been occasionally susceptible against lesser opposition on their travels this season and anything resembling hope the Tigers can cling on to would be more than welcome.

Keep an ear out for some baiting of a certain armband-wearing defender, too, and feel free to condemn such action and not join in. Oh yes.