Hull manager Steve Bruce dismisses talk of selling Tom Huddlestone

Hull boss Steve Bruce said he would be "off his rocker" to consider selling Tom Huddlestone to Sky Bet Championship promotion rivals Derby.

Midfielder Huddlestone, 29, had been linked to a return to the club where he started his career but Bruce dismissed the speculation and reiterated his intentions to keep his squad intact ahead of Wednesday's home league game against Cardiff.

"I've got nothing to report either way and as I've said repeatedly I'll do my utmost to ensure that I keep hold of the squad that I've got," he told the club's official website.

"We'd be absolutely crazy to try and dismantle it now. I've seen a report that Tom Huddlestone is going to Derby. Well I think I'd be off my rocker to be thinking of selling Tom Huddlestone to Derby at this particular moment.

"There's a lot of ridiculous reporting and I have to say that, but it's the funny season, the transfer window is open and everybody wants a story.

"I can't see that there will be any marquee signings, but we'll scour the loan market to see if anybody there can improve us and if we can't then I'm delighted with what I've got provided we stay with what we've got at the moment, which is a very good squad."

Hull, FA Cup finalists in 2014, reached the fourth round of the competition at the weekend by beating Brighton at home, while they head into the second half of the season well placed to maintain their challenge for automatic promotion.

"If you had said to me at the start of the season we'd be two points off second (place) and four or five off the top of the league, then I'd have taken it, 100 per cent I'd have taken it," Bruce said.

Bruce, without striker Adama Diomande due to a groin injury sustained in Saturday's 1-0 win over Brighton, is likely to make big changes again.

Goalkeeper Allan McGregor, midfielders Jake Livermore, Sam Clucas and David Meyler, plus strikers Mo Diame and Abel Hernandez are all back in contention. Defenders Alex Bruce and Michael Dawson (both knee) are still out.

Cardiff boss Russell Slade is coming under increasing pressure following his side's weekend FA Cup exit at the hands of Shrewsbury.

The Bluebirds, relegated from the top flight in 2014, have won only one of their last five matches in all competitions and have slipped to ninth in the table, four points off the play-offs.

Slade will rotate his squad again after making nine changes against Shrewsbury. Goalkeeper David Marshall, midfielders Aron Gunnarsson, Craig Noone and Anthony Pilkington, plus strikers Joe Mason and Tony Watt are among those hoping to return.