Charlie Hughes has taken a major step towards his Hull City comeback with a 45-minute run-out for the Under-21s. The defender featured in a 3-0 win over Fleetwood Town at the MKM Stadium on Tuesday as he builds fitness after a complex groin injury.
Hughes has not made a single competitive appearance this season. The 23-year-old returned to pre-season training in July but immediately felt discomfort, forcing him to miss the club's trip to Slovenia. He later visited a specialist in London, who linked the problem to the aftermath of a double hernia surgery he underwent following last season's play-off final at Wembley.
"I was carrying niggles last season with the double hernia, so I was struggling with that for months, but managed to play through that and get through it," Hughes said. He described the current issue as a separate, combined injury that developed after his summer operation. "The end goal I was very happy about was to get through it, and then I had the operation this summer, and when I came back into pre-season, things weren't great after the operation."
Multiple setbacks and assessments delayed his return to full training. The club's medical staff are now carefully monitoring his performance and managing his daily workload to prevent any flare-ups. Hughes is scheduled to increase his minutes to an hour in next week's Under-21s fixture against Sheffield Wednesday.
Sergej Jakirovic has previously expressed concern that Hughes may not feature much this season. The defender was a key figure in Hull City's promotion from the Championship last term, making 70 appearances since joining the club in 2024. He played through pain in the final days of the campaign to help the Tigers in their hour of need.
Hughes remains hopeful of returning to the matchday squad before Christmas. His progress can be tracked on the club's official injuries page. Hull City's next first-team fixture is at home to Brighton on 22 November.
First reported at Hull Live
