Phelan hopes Hull make most of new formation

( Reuters) - Hull City will need to quickly adapt to their new 3-5-2 formation if they are to drag themselves out of the Premier League relegation battle, manager Mike Phelan said, ahead of Friday's clash against seventh-placed Everton.

Hull, who are glued to the bottom of the table with 12 points from 18 games, four points adrift of the safety zone, have not won since deploying their new system in the draw with Crystal Palace on December 10.

"It's not an impossible mission, we'll keep going," Phelan told reporters on Thursday.

"We are up for the challenge ahead and players have bought into the new formation. We need to use it to its best."

The same formation has proved spectacularly successful for leaders Chelsea, who have gone on a 12-game winning streak since switching to it.

Striker Abel Hernandez will definitely miss Friday's game. Phelan said the 26-year-old, who injured his groin at the start of November, is now jogging but still "10 days to two weeks" from full fitness.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru, editing by Neil Robinson)