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Harambee Stars prospect nearing return from career-threatening injury
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 18.10.25. | 07:17
The 23-year-old midfielder, who joined Hull from AS Monaco, has been sidelined since suffering a serious ACL injury during a Championship defeat to Cardiff City in February
Hull City have received a major boost with news that Harambee Stars prospect Eliot Matazo is close to returning from a career-threatening injury.
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The 23-year-old midfielder, who joined Hull from AS Monaco, has been sidelined since suffering a serious ACL injury during a Championship defeat to Cardiff City in February.
Following surgery, the initial medical assessment projected a return around Christmas.
However, Matazo, who has represented Belgium at the U21 level, has set his sights on an ambitious November comeback, which would see him return to action well ahead of schedule.
Head coach Sergej Jakirovic welcomed the midfielder’s optimism but urged patience, suggesting a return closer to December remains more realistic.
“It’s going well, and he promised me he will be back in November, but we’ll see,” Jakirovic told Hull Live.
“I hope he will be back next month, but my experience with Mo Belloumi and Liam Millar tells me it will probably be December, if everything goes well.”
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Regardless of the exact date, Matazo’s impending return is a timely lift for the Tigers, who are pushing for Premier League promotion.
His recovery means that all three Hull players who suffered ACL injuries last season, including Mo Belloumi and Liam Millar, will soon be available for selection.
Jakirovic acknowledged Matazo’s potential impact, noting that the midfielder was just beginning to find his rhythm in the side before the setback in South Wales.
The Croatian coach also voiced concern over the growing number of ACL injuries in modern football.
“Right now, ACL injuries are the biggest problem in football,” Jakirovic said. “A lot of players get this injury, and I don’t know why, maybe it’s the boots, the pitches, or the number of games.”
Born to a Kenyan mother and a Congolese father, Matazo is eligible to represent either Kenya or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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However, having been capped across all youth levels by Belgium, the country of his birth, he appears content to wait for a senior call-up from the Red Devils.
Still, the possibility of playing for Kenya remains open, a prospect that could interest Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy, who continues to strengthen his squad ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.
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