Brown to gamble on Bullard

Tigers ready to risk injury-ravaged midfielder

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 7th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Brown to gamble on Bullard

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Phil Brown admits it would be a 'disaster' if Jimmy Bullard were to break down again on his return to action.

The Hull City boss is ready to hand his talismanic midfielder a first-team recall against Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The 31-year-old has been out of action since suffering a knee injury against Aston Villa in December.

He has sat out 11 games since then, in which time the Tigers have managed only one win.

Bullard has suffered terribly with knee problems over recent years and Brown knows he must be careful not to rush the former Wigan and Fulham man back into the fold too soon.

He has, however, come through a reserve run-out and a behind-closed-doors friendly against Doncaster unscathed and would relish the opportunity to turn out against the Toffees.

"The pros are he will advance us as a footballing team, the cons are it'll be a game too early and he'll break down. And that will be a disaster for him," said Brown.

Fear

"There's always a fear it's a game too early. I'll be the man to blame if I throw him in on Sunday and he breaks down. But there's an awful lot of thought gone into the decision.

"I've had plenty of dilemmas, I've had plenty of big decisions this season and hopefully I've got the majority of them right."

While Brown is well aware of the benefits Bullard would bring to his side, he insists Hull are not a one-man team and has been quick to point out that midfield duo George Boateng and Tom Cairney have been among the club's most consistent performers.

"Whatever he brings to the party has to be his best because I for one won't be picking an injured Jimmy Bullard or an out-of-form Jimmy Bullard, I'll be picking somebody who brings something for the rest of the players," he added.

"It's not just about Jimmy, it's about the whole team. We find ourselves in a situation where we have a great chance of staying in the Premier League for a third season, which would confound an awful lot of critics.

"There's a couple of players that have put themselves on the team sheet week in, week out and, if you consider playing Jimmy, you're going to have to leave one of your better players out."