Hull City's Harambee Stars prospect nears return after one year injury layoff

Harambee Stars prospect Eliot Matazo is finally closing in on his long-awaited return after nearly a year out with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, having resumed full team training with Hull City in recent days.

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The 25-year-old midfielder has been sidelined since 26 February 2025, when he sustained the serious knee injury in the first half of Hull’s away fixture against Cardiff City, an outcome that ruled him out for the remainder of the 2024–25 season.

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At the time of his injury, the Belgium-born midfielder had made six appearances for the Tigers following his January move from AS Monaco, marking his home debut with a goal against Stoke City.

Hull manager Sergej Jakirović revealed last year that Matazo had targeted a November comeback, but remained cautious about placing pressure on the midfielder’s recovery.

“It is going well, and he promised me he will be back in November, but we are looking forward,” Jakirović told Hull Live. “I hope so, but from my experience with Mo Belloumi and Liam Millar, it could be December if everything goes well.”

However, a setback in his rehabilitation delayed that projected timeline, extending his absence beyond the initial expectations.

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Now there is renewed optimism at the Championship club. Hull assistant manager Dean Holden has confirmed that Matazo has rejoined the squad in training, describing his progress as positive even though no firm return date has been set.

“Eliot's been in and around team training for the last couple of days,” Holden said. “It’s been a long-term injury, it’s a period of time, non-contact, and just finding his feet, literally.

It’s building up his training fitness. He’s been away for a period of time, but he’s moving in the right direction.”

Born in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium, to a Congolese Malagasy father and Kenyan mother, Matazo began his professional journey with RSC Anderlecht in 2009. He earned his first caps for Belgium at the Under-16 level and later captained the side in several victories.

He joined Monaco ahead of the 2018/19 season, initially featuring for their Under-19 team before making his senior debut in 2020. Over the following seasons, he became a regular in Ligue 1 and European competitions, earning praise for his composed and energetic displays in midfield.

Matazo further developed his game during a 2024 loan spell at Royal Antwerp, where he made key contributions, including scoring in a 3-1 win over Anderlecht during the Champions play-offs. He also represented Belgium at the Under-21 level, earning 22 caps.

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Upon joining Hull in January 2025, Matazo spoke enthusiastically about the move and his ambitions.

“I’m very pleased to be here and very excited to start this new journey. It happened quickly. Hull City came to my agent, and very quickly, I had a talk with the manager, sporting director and president. The feeling was very positive, and it was easy to make this choice," he said.

“It’s a very ambitious project with great ideas, and I’m also a very ambitious person. We match together. We both have big ambitions for the club. They want to help me in my journey, and I want to help the club in their goals.

“I am a physical, technical player, fast. I like to combine with my teammates, and I’m really oriented to the goal. I want to score goals, make actions, but I also like to defend," he added.

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“England is the best country to play football. I’m really excited to be on the pitch with the fans cheering for us.”