Hull boss Phil Brown believes his team can tackle Chelsea with renewed hope - but still hopes to catch the Blues off colour.

That has left them just six points off the bottom of the table and in danger of being sucked into a relegation battle ahead of a daunting trip to Stamford Bridge.

Yet after ending a run of six successive defeats with an impressive performance in a 2-2 draw with West Brom last week, Brown hopes a corner might have been turned.

Brown said: "The West Brom game renewed my faith in the team we have got and our ability to get something from games at this level.

"The formation and personnel surprised one or two but it didn't surprise me. We were after a high-energy performance and we got it. We need that again against Chelsea."

Hull were beaten 3-0 by Chelsea at the KC Stadium but can draw encouragement from impressive away performances against three of the big four; beating Arsenal, drawing at Liverpool and losing 4-3 to Manchester United.

Brown added: "We were at our best and they weren't at their best - that equation won't change.

"We haven't got the wealth of international footballers they have got or the millions they have spent, so we have to be at our best on Saturday. Hopefully Chelsea won't be at theirs.

"They have got a wealth of experience and a wealth of top-class talent, so any time you play them is not a good time - but we go there buoyed by the fact we got a couple of goals in our last game and had a good performance.

"We didn't get the win we wanted but we got a point which gets us off that six-game run without a win. We are going to go there with our own gameplan, with our own confidence levels renewed and hopefully give Chelsea a game."

Despite their poor form, Hull's superb start to the season means they are still 11th in the table and Brown has not lost sight of how far the promoted Tigers have progressed over the past year.

Hull chairman Paul Duffen this week vociferously defended Brown after criticism from a "vocal minority" of supporters over results and the failure to sign any players on transfer deadline day.

Brown said: "If someone had offered me 11th at this stage of the season I would have said yes, given the fact we are still so many points clear of the relegation zone and we could win and get back into the top half.

"I would have taken that and I think most Hull City fans would have done but all of a sudden you spoil people. You are a victim of your own success.

"You spoil people by winning so many of your first nine games and people start dreaming of European qualification."

Hull's prime concern for the game is the fitness of Jimmy Bullard. The £5million record signing has been troubled by a knee injury and the results of a scan have been sent to America for a second opinion from the surgeon who operated on the joint in 2006.

Hull are hopeful the injury is not serious but will not risk the former Fulham midfielder if not 100% fit and he looks unlikely to feature at Stamford Bridge.

That would leave Ian Ashbee as the central figure in midfield with the City captain having brushed aside criticism of his recent performances.

Ashbee said: "I think I've been all right, to be fair. My form's probably been similar to the way it was towards the beginning of the season but because we've not been winning, it gets questioned more.

"It's not something I'm aware of or even bothered about. There's only two people's opinions that count, the manager's and my own."

After weeks of battling conditions at their own training ground, Hull will head for Dubai after the Chelsea game for a week of warm-weather work before their FA Cup fifth-round tie at Sheffield United.