The club have worked hard to clear snow and ice from around the KC Stadium this week and another flurry overnight has also been dealt with. In common with most top-level games during this severe winter, it is the areas surrounding the ground and the roads that are the main problem, as the pitch is playable. With the match kicking off at 12.45pm live on Sky Sports, Hull know they will have little time to play with on Saturday morning. They would hate a scenario similar to Arsenal on Wednesday in having to call a game off after away fans have started travelling. With chairman Adam Pearson having warned the club are overspending on players' wages by around £9million annually, City can also ill afford to waste money preparing for a match that does not take place. Manager Phil Brown said: "The game should go ahead in terms of pitch conditions but we have got to make sure the car parks and terracing are clear for the game to go ahead. "We have a meeting with the match referee and a meeting with the police today and hopefully the end of that meeting will be very positive for Hull City." Hull at least do not have to fear losing a TV bonus if the games does not go ahead. Premier League clubs pocket around £500,000 each time they are shown on TV but are guaranteed payments for at least 10 live games even if they do not appear that many times. Stadium manager John Cooper added: "The weather forecast does keep changing, so we have to do the same. "We're calling in favours from everywhere we can to make sure that walkways are cleared and that every other aspect on the safety side of things is in place." The game itself is a daunting enough prospect for struggling Hull, who are 19th in the table and some 27 points behind league leaders Chelsea. Carlo Ancelotti's side, however, will be weakened by the absence of their African Nations Cup players. The in-form Didier Drogba, who scored two goals including the last-gasp winner when the sides met in August, and Michael Essien head a list of four missing Blues stars. Brown said: "It is never a good time to catch Chelsea but it is a better time when they have got four big players out. "But obviously there is a plethora of talent just behind them. "He's [Ancelotti] still got a selection headache. The Drogba berth is there for someone to fill but to replace him with Nicolas Anelka and Daniel Sturridge is not a bad option. It is a fantastic option to have." With a number of players likely to be leaving as Brown tries to trim the wage bill, and games against Tottenham and Manchester United to come, January is a big month for Hull. Brown has said the club will have to assess offers for any player but one he is determined to keep is Irish winger Stephen Hunt, who has been linked with Wolves. "Stephen, as far as I and the chairman are concerned, will be going nowhere," said Brown. "I've had the lad in and asked him where he wants to be. His heart is firmly at Hull City and I'd like to keep it that way." Brown has also downplayed a link to Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood and looks set to lose out on Manchester City forward Felipe Caicedo to Malaga. Hull are looking for their first league win in seven matches against Chelsea but despite that run - and forgetting a much-changed team's FA Cup defeat at Wigan last week - Brown is encouraged by recent performances. Brown said: "We're back to the league now, back to the bread and butter, and back to a very big game for us. "It'll be the same attitude - to put in performances like we did against Arsenal and Manchester United, and the character of the performance against Bolton and the first half at Wigan." Left-back Andy Dawson, one of seven players rested in the 4-1 cup loss at the DW Stadium, believes the Tigers are capable of springing an upset. Dawson said: "Especially with our performances of late, we are due a result against the big four. "It is one we have got to look forward to. "We have all waited many years to get teams like Chelsea at the KC and we have to enjoy it. "To take points from them would be fantastic."
