A place on the bench is likely to be Meyler's best hope, though, after City impressed in his absence during last week's dress rehearsal, a 5-1 win over Rotherham United. Bruce appears unlikely to make alterations to a side that hit form on the final weekend and faith will again be placed in City's experienced stars.
Mo Diame will be given the role of supporting Abel Hernandez, but also dropping deeper to make the Tigers a 4-5-1 without the ball. Bruce has no fresh injury concerns for the trip to the iPro Stadium and will have decisions over the make-up of his bench. One of Adama Diomande, Sone Aluko and Chuba Akpom will miss out. Nick Powell (hamstring) is the only definite absentee.
Key battle - Will Hughes v Mo Diame
HULL City have an undoubted match winner in Mohamed Diame and Steve Bruce will be hoping tomorrow sees his creative talisman come good on the big stage.
Diame has blown hot and cold this season but showed promising signs in last weekend's 5-1 rout of Rotherham, linking up well with Abel Hernandez and City's overlapping wingers.
The 28-year-old is capable of special things in possession, yet his duties will also extend to cramping Derby County and their pretty, ball-playing midfield.
Will Hughes is expected to play as the holding midfielder in the absence of the injured George Thorne and closing off the avenues out of defence will be vital in helping City control the game.
Derby overview
THERE were shades of Hull City's campaign as Derby promised so much before eventually falling off the pace to settle for a place in the play-offs. Derby's disastrous spell came in January and February during an eight-game winless run that cost Paul Clement his job and effectively ruled out a top-two challenge. Darren Wassall steadied the ship, winning eight of the final 15 games, but none of their last three matches ended with victories. Last weekend's 1-0 loss at home to Ipswich was particularly flat. Progress, of sorts, has already been made after clinching a top-six finish on the back of last season's capitulation but an expensively assembled squad has greater ambitions.
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