Hull City without midfield ace for West Brom trip after controversial decision

The lowly Tigers were facing a home defeat to relegation-fighting rivals Oxford United at the MKM Stadium on Wednesday night but the hosts rallied for three points via two late goals.

Even later, though, was a harsh second yellow card for influential midfielder Gustavo Puerta.

Hull boss Ruben Selles saw his side end the game with 10 men after Puerta was dismissed in the sixth minute of stoppage time for what was deemed a dive in the penalty area by referee Josh Smith. Replays showed at least some contact.

Puerta will serve a one-match ban - with yellow card ban offenses not permitted to be appealed - when Hull visit The Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon for the final fixture before the spring international break.

Leeds loanee Joe Gelhardt struck a 73th-minute equaliser to cancel out Michal Helik's opener seven minutes earlier. Colombian Puerta, who is on loan from Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, then showed some fleet-footed skill to force U's goalkeeper Jamie Cumming into an own goal to decide the contest.

Hull climbed above visitors Oxford into 18th with the victory, putting five points between them and the drop zone in doing so.

Selles oversaw the game from a different vantage point as the head coach also served a one-match ban following three yellow cards. He picked up the third of which late on in last weekend's draw at Bristol City. He returns to the dugout this weekend.

The Tigers have now won three of their last six games and lost just once in that period.

Form generally has improved since Spanish former Reading and Southampton boss Selles, 41, replaced German Tim Walter early in December. Hull have picked up impressive away wins at Sheffield United and Sunderland, two of the top four, in the last six weeks or so.

Hull are without frontman Joao Pedro for the trip tot he Black Country. The Italian, who netted a fine header against Albion in November, is serving a three-match ban for a red card last weekend.