Soccer-Hull sign defender Ranocchia on loan from Inter Milan

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Hull City have signed Italian defender Andrea Ranocchia on loan until the end of the season from Inter Milan, the English Premier League club said on Tuesday. Ranocchia, who has 21 caps for Italy, will ease the defensive problems at Hull who have been left short of options in after Curtis Davies injured his hamstring during Sunday's 4-1 FA Cup defeat at second-tier Fulham. The 28-year-old Ranocchia has played nine times for Inter this season and has fallen out of favour with new manager Stefano Pioli. The tough-tackling defender will be available for selection, subject to international clearance, when Hull, who are second bottom in the league table, two points away from safety after 22 games, travel to face sixth-placed Manchester United on Wednesday. (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)