Festive season of four games in 11 days

But, just as significantly at a time when the squad's resources will be in most need, it also produced injuries to key players - Darren Ambrose, Chris Iwelumo and Andy Reid - that will test the strength of Pardew's resources to the limit.
Iwelumo has burst into life in recent weeks, scoring five goals in nine games, including the opener against West Brom, but it is the knee injury to Reid that will be of most concern to Pardew. The Addicks skipper has been their most influential player this season and it would certainly upset the balance of the side were the Irish international to be out for any period of time.
Coming on top of costly yet avoidable suspensions to Danny Mills, Jonathan Fortune and Lloyd Sam, as well as long-term injuries to Ben Thatcher, Grant Basey and Svetoslav Todorov, Pardew pledged to hit the January sales in a desperate bid to keep his side's promotion hopes alive.
"Despite scoring first, our performance was fragmented by key injuries," he said of the West Brom
game. "We're stretched and need to strengthen with a couple of signings during the transfer window."
Despite the injuries to Reid and Ambrose, Charlton are well off for attacking midfielders but could certainly benefit from a bit of extra grit in the centre of the park while Pardew may also wish to bolster both his forward line and defensive options.
His team put in a spirited display against West Brom but this was perhaps the game when injuries and suspensions finally caught up with them, as late goals from Zoltan Gera - who again revealed Charlton's aerial weakness at the back - and Kevin Phillips ensured the home side took maximum points.
"I thought the changes affected us," said Pardew. "The game was fragmented with a lot of changes and I feel in some ways we gave a good account in the circumstances.
"Our back four struggled to cope with West Brom. We were up against a good team and I guess for the neutral it was a fantastic game. Sometimes you have to accept you are a loser in a great game and I still think we came out of it with credit.
"We played some good stuff and when it got back to 2-2 I fancied we were in a strong position. West Brom showed some strengths that other teams haven't got, and parts of our game worried me as I thought we got a bit wrapped up in it.
"But there is still a long, long way to go in this division. You have ups and downs and this is a bit of a down."
Hull will be eager for revenge after a bad-tempered game earlier in the season, with the absence of at least Reid and Iwelumo making a return to a 4-4-2 system more likely.
Mills and Sam will both be available for selection at the weekend, with the former Manchester City player Mills certain to return at right-back.
But it is Fortune's defensive understanding with Sam Sodje that was most missed against the Baggies and, with two games of suspension still to go, his act of stupidity against Ipswich could prove very costly during the festive fixture pile-up that also sees the Addicks take on Norwich, Leicester and Colchester.
For while it may be the season of goodwill for all men, if Charlton fail to deliver a few Christmas presents for their fans over the next four games they could find that their promotion hopes have gone rather flat by January.
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