The Tigers were due to play Southampton at Wembley Stadium on May 23, until the Saints were booted out of the final for admitting to spying on multiple Championship teams, in addition to Middlesbrough, before their semi-final first leg.
Boro have since replaced Southampton in the final for the most lucrative in football, despite failing to win either of their two-legged ties against the South Coast club.
Hull are the most innocent party in the equation, yet they've been impacted most by this decision, as their players have been preparing for a clash against the Saints, giving them only one training session to get ready for a showdown against the Teesiders.
And with their opponent yet to be officially confirmed, since Southampton have appealed their four-point deduction as well as the EFL's decision to kick them out of the play-offs, Ilicali has taken legal advice, believing that his side should be automatically awarded promotion to the Premier League.
“Under normal circumstances, two teams have reached the final and one has been disqualified," Turkish owner said via Asist Analiz.
"Our lawyers’ opinion is that we should go directly to the Premier League, but they’re examining it right now. We can’t say anything definitive. It’s a bit of a messy situation.
“We had been preparing for Southampton for 10 days. All the planning, analysis, and work was focused on them. Now, with the days left until the final, the opponent has changed. Tomorrow the players are off, Thursday is the last serious training session. We’ll prepare for the new opponent with 1 training session.”