Grant McCann says he was keen to rearrange the Sunderland game for this weekend to avoid a fixture pile-up later in the season.
The Tigers were initially scheduled to play Wigan but the match was postponed after a number of Latics players tested positive for Covid-19.
The Black Cats’ fixture at Fleetwood was also suspended due a Covid-19 outbreak in the Cod Army camp, leaving both clubs with a free weekend.
Having already seen the home matches against Accrington and Lincoln postponed – as well as the original Boxing Day trip to Sunderland – McCann did not want another game week to go to waste.