Following their relegation into the Championship, Hull City have lost a host of players and a few are still expected to be departing the KC Stadium in the coming weeks.

As a result, manager Steve Bruce has only 14 senior players available to him at the moment and the 54-year old has now admitted that this summer has proven to be a huge struggle for him.

Bruce said: "I'll tell no lies, it's been the most difficult summer because of the situation we find ourselves in. There's been a black cloud hanging over the club and we can't get rid of it. Yes, it's a difficult time but we can still look orward to mounting a challenge in the Championship and look forward to better times."