Arsenal loanees Isaac Hayden and Chuba Akpom unable to play for Hull in FA Cup tie

Hat-trick hero: Chuba Akpom's goals took Hull into the next round
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
James Benge4 February 2016

Hull City pair Isaac Hayden and Chuba Akpom will be unable to face parent side Arsenal in the FA Cup fifth round later this month.

Though midfielder Hayden had professed himself keen to face Arsene Wenger’s side when he returns to the Emirates on 20 February neither he nor his fellow loanee will be able to play any part in the match.

FA regulations forbid players from appearing against the lending club regardless of any agreement between the two sides.

Hayden told the club website: “It's one of those ties; Arsenal and Hull have been drawn together a few times now so it didn't come too much as a surprise, but it's a good draw and it'll be a tough game - anything can happen.”

Arsenal have eliminated Hull in both of the last two FA Cups, following their final victory in 2014 with a third round triumph the following year.

The loss of two key squad members comes as a blow to Hull manager Steve Bruce, who featured both players in the 3-1 victory away to Burnley that secured the Tigers passage to the last 16.

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Akpom netted a hat-trick in the victory, taking his Hull tally to seven in 28 appearances this season. Hayden has similarly impressed Bruce in recent weeks, with the manager confirming that he wanted to sign the 20-year-old on a permanent basis if Arsenal agreed.

Wenger has previously been critical of a loan system that forbids players from competing against their parent club.

In 2014 he said: “I believe if you want to continue the loan system, we have to make them available against the teams that loan them out, or the system is not defendable.

“It’s just a protection of the clubs who loan the players out to hurt the opponents and they have no risk at all. For a while, you could decide when you loan the player out if he plays against you or not, and I always decided: ‘Yes, he can play against us.’”

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