Hull City's injury list is shortening, but Andy Dawson must weigh up if he can risk Callum Elder against Blackburn Rovers

Whether left-back Callum Elder plays is "touch and go" as caretaker coach Dawson has to weight up what is still to come, as well as considering whether to change a winning team.

Hull are due to play Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Cardiff City and Reading before the Championship pauses for the winter World Cup on November 12 and whilst Dawson cannot get too far ahead of himself – not least because it is likely he will be handing over to a more permanent coach before then with former defender Liam Rosenior heavily linked to the job – it will be in the back of his mind.

Elder was notable by his absence in Tuesday's opening training session.

"It's touch and go," said Dawson, whose side have won their last two matches with an unchanged XI.

"He's nearly there but it's about whether we risk that and throw him in or say we have got five games in two weeks, do we rest him for this one and bring him back for Tuesday? They're decisions we've got to make."

Generally, though, Dawson likes to focus more on the immediate future.

"We can't look too far in advance, as we always say," he stressed. "The games are coming thick and fast after Saturday but Saturday is the most important. We can't look at Tuesday (when they host Middlesbrough) yet.

"Do we know what's expected individually and collectively? We've worked really hard this week and the group is full of confidence after the last two results but we have to keep them prepared mentally because as soon as you come off anything in this league, you can get done.

"We've worked really hard this week and done a lot of tactical work, a lot pf physical work."

It is a sign of the positivity Dawson has created that the injury list is thinning out, with Arsenal loanee Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand involved in his first training sessions since joining with an injury on deadline day. Harvey Vale has returned from parent club Chelsea after picking up a problem on international duty days after his Tigers debut.

"We've very few injuries at the moment, players are coming back," said Dawson. "Salah trained the other day, Harvey Vale's come back from Chelsea, which is positive.

"The squad and the numbers are getting stronger by the day."

Given how long the two youngsters have been out – and the fact the clubs loaning them will no doubt want to be cautious – it may be that they need to do a few more sessions yet before they are available for selection.

James Scott is also back in the fold. The forward was not included on Hull's squad list for the first half of the season, but there is space for him to be added.