Hull City will be boosted by the return of skipper Lewie Coyle for Saturday's crunch visit of Stoke City to the MKM Stadium as the Tigers look to back up last Friday night's impressive 3-0 win at Sheffield United.

Coyle has missed the last two games with an ankle problem he picked up in the first half of the 1-0 win at Millwall but is back in training and could return to the starting XI against the Potters.

New signing Louie Barry will also be in Ruben Selles' squad for the first time after completing his loan move from Aston Villa earlier this week, having trained with his new teammates at Cottingham.

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Matt Crooks is fine after complaining of a tight hamstring early in the second half at Bramall Lane, though he missed a couple of training sessions earlier in the week and Abdus Omur is back after nursing a knee injury.

"He's fine (Coyle). He trained today obviously with a little bit of, not concern, but it's not fully ready, and then we need to see how he settles, but he has been training. Hopefully tomorrow he will make it and can make the squad and maybe the team on the weekend," Selles told Hull Live.

"Crooksy (Matt Crooks) was substituted after 60 minutes (with hamstring tightness). He went a couple of days without training with the team. Matt is back in training, and he should be able to participate and maybe start the game. We also have Abdus Omur back on the training pitch tomorrow (Friday) and, hopefully, will also be available."

City will still be without Kasey Palmer and Charlie Hughes, though the pair are closing in on returns and could be back available for selection in around three weeks.

The arrival of Villa attacker Barry has raised spirits and expectations at City, given he scored 15 goals in 23 games in League One with Stockport County, and Selles had first-hand experience of his power, bagging two in a 4-1 win over his Reading side earlier this season.

Selles says having another player like Barry in his squad ticks the box of adding pace and power to his attacking ranks, joining the likes of Crooks, Joe Gelhardt, Kyle Joseph and Lincoln.

"Well, I think Louie is a pure left winger, right-footed," he said. "We talked about it in this transfer window, adding a lot of pace and quality in the final third and a lot of goals. He's an Aston Villa player who has been training with them in the last three weeks.

"He smashed League One with his quality in the last six months. We (at Reading) conceded two goals against him, and we were not an easy team to beat, so he did a very good job against us.

"Louie has been one of the most excellent players in League One this season. His qualities and abilities suit the team that we are, and I think we suit his next level of development, competing in the Championship and being able to replicate his performances at the next level, so I think it can be very important for us.

"It's in line with the additions that we have in the transfer window, and I hope with his help, we can even get better."

The Spaniard admits this is a must-win game, but only because he believes every game as City boss is a must-win. Given the ambitions Selles has, he knows the key to their hopes of getting out of trouble is rectifying the home form.

"We are always having the same discussion about this (home form) until we finally break that one," he said. "I think it's more external than internal because we talk about repeating performances. I will say that the QPR game was not a bad performance for us at all; it was about moments in the game.

"For us, it's about the next game in front of us; it's in front of our fans, and we want to do the very best that we can do.

"People talk about it (being a six-pointer or must-win) because we are just playing in that bottom part of the table, all of us, but the reality is that we have been there before, and it's a game that we are going to face in the same terms that we face some other opponents. For us, the game is a must-win, but for us, every game is a must-win. We will always compete to win the game, so that is not the difference, and that's why we don't feel more or less pressure; it's just what it is."

Like City have at home, Stoke have struggled away from home with just two wins this season. They remain without three points in the four league games since Mark Robins took the job (three draws, one defeat), though they have won on their last three visits to the MKM Stadium without reply.

Selles expects the Potters to perform at their best level since Robins took over and has highlighted new arrival Ali Al-Hamadi from Ipswich Town as a key threat.

"Especially in this period of the year now, they have Al-Hamadi coming in from Ipswich, which is a striker that can make them more powerful in the attacking positions," he said. "I think that he's (Robins) trying to rebuild the team again, and it's never easy.

"I have been there myself when you pick a team and you are the third manager in the season, it's never easy, but I think he's getting some performances trying to put the team together and with the players (signed) in the transfer window, he can get his team stronger and go in the way that he wants to go as he did it in his previous club (at Coventry City).

"I expect a team that will be, especially in the moment that they are, that it is going to be better than they have been because they have had a week to work with the new players, the idea of the manager, and I expect a team that probably will be the best version since he arrived to the club."