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'A matter of days' The latest West Brom injury news ahead of Fulham

The latest WBA injury and suspension bulletin

West Brom's injuries and suspensions - those pesky inconveniences that get in the way of Albion fielding their strongest team from one week to the next.

This is you one-stop shop for all the latest news on the Albion players on the treatment table or the naughty step.

We'll update it each week with the absentees, potential return dates and thoughts of the man in the dugout.

We'll also keep you updated on those at risk of a suspension, be it a straight red card or an accumulation of yellows.

Then, further down, are details about the current casualties sidelined by injury.

SUSPENSIONS

It's early days in the new season, but to date Albion have no suspensions to worry about.

Romaine Sawyers and Nathan Ferguson have collected two bookings, while Semi Ajayi, Kieran Gibbs and Matheus Pereira have one apiece to their name.

INJURIES
Gareth Barry

Injury: Knee

Barry missed the end of last season after undergoing surgery on his knee. His contract was up this past summer, but he continued to use the club's training facilities in the close season as his rehabilitation began.

Slaven Bilic has confirmed he'll give him a new deal when he proves his fitness, but Barry is a little way off from being involved.

Last match played: Leeds 4 West Brom 0 - Friday, March 1

Potential return date: N/A

What Bilic said: "We speak every day. He's in the gym and he's out on the pitch also. He's quite close and I think he thought it was going to be a bit earlier.

"It's a matter of days, and he and Ahmed will be major boosts for us."

Ahmed Hegazi

Injury: Ankle

Hegazi had a short summer break before representing his native Egypt in the African Nations Cup this past summer. There was then a mutually agreed decision made for the centre-back to undergo necessary surgery on his ankle and sacrifice the beginning of Albion's campaign.

Last match played (for WBA): West Brom 1 Aston Villa 0 - Tuesday 14 May

Potential return date: End of September/early October

What Bilic said: "He's very close to fitness. He's like maybe a couple of weeks away, maybe by the Fulham game he will have joined training

"We're delighted he will be back ahead of schedule. Of course, he will have to play a couple of games for the for the under-23s. It's a big boost for us.

"It's not black and white as to when he will be back, we need to see him. We need to see how quickly he gets his sharpness. We need to see how he feels with his ankle.

"I'm not being negative, his progress is still very open. I don't know the date when he will come back - but knowing him and, to be fair, more hearing about him, he's a warrior and a proper player.

"So I think it will be sooner rather than later."

Kieran Gibbs

Injury : Groin

Last match played: Derby 1 West Brom 1 - Saturday August 24

Potential return date: Fulham v West Brom - Saturday September 14

What Bilic said: "Gibbo got injured at Derby, that's an old injury that he has with his groin. It happens a few times a season, it's nothing major but it's enough to keep him out for a few weeks."

Conor Townsend

Injury : Unspecified

Last match played: West Brom 1 Millwall 2 - Tuesday 13 August

Potential return date: Fulham v West Brom - Saturday 14 September

What Bilic said: "Conor unfortunately felt something. It's a matter of days. He's a guy who didn't miss a game last season, he was available every game.

"If the [Blackburn] game was let's say in a couple of days, he'd probably be fine. But unfortunately it isn't, it's one of those situations."



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/injuries-west-brom-hegazi-gibbs-14254394

3 Fulham players who simply must up their game to maintain promotion push

With six games played since their return to the Championship, Fulham are sat in a promising position as they look to make the return a short one.

Scott Parker welcomes fellow promotion hopefuls West Brom this weekend upon the division's return from the international break and, having picked up three wins already, will be looking to add a notable scalp to that list.

There have been plenty of thrilling performers from the Whites' camp so far as well, with the front three of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert proving an excellent unit, whilst Tom Cairney has maintained his typically high standards behind them.

However, not everybody is pulling their weight and successful promotion campaigns very rarely have passengers.

Here, then, are THREE players who simply must up their game to maintain promotion push...

Stefan Johansen
It would be harsh to blame Johansen solely for his slow start to the season.

He was cast out on loan to the Baggies for half of last season afterall, but it is getting to the stage where he will need to start producing in the centre of the park.

Whilst his displays have carried plenty of energy so far, they have had very little product to them, with no goals and no assists to his name yet.

Marcus Bettinelli
The 27-year-old was one of Fulham's stand-out performers in the second-tier when they won promotion.

However, that confidence seems to have vanished, with plenty of sloppy mistakes creeping into his game with plenty of fans starting to demand change in the sticks.

Marek Rodak performed brightly during their cup defeat to Southampton and could start to look like an appealing option to Parker if Bettinelli does not up his game.

Alfie Mawson
It baffled many fans and onlookers when Fulham failed to make a single defensive signing in the summer, given how much they struggled at the back in the Premier League.

However, those problems have not vanished. Despite Alfie Mawson and Tim Ream looking like a decent second-tier partnership on paper, they are yet to convince and with Mawson the one to have played more frequently, the responsibility to lead the line must fall to him.

Every promotion contender needs a leader at the back, and at the moment Fulham lack this. With Michael Hector arriving in January, they may soon have one, but until then, Mawson needs to handle that responsibility.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-fulham-players-who-simply-must-up-their-game-to-maintain-promotion-push/

Sargent, Ream get hometown starts for US vs Uruguay

Josh Sargent and Tim Ream got starts in their hometown of St. Louis as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter made seven lineup changes for Tuesday night's exhibition against Uruguay.

Sargent, a 19-year-old forward from O'Fallon, Missouri, was in the stands for the previous U.S. match at Busch Stadium, a World Cup qualifier against St. Vincent and the Grenadines in November 2015.

Ream, a 31-year-old from St. Louis, captained the U.S. for just the third time following an exhibition against Ecuador on March 27 and the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal versus Jamaica on July 3.

A day after his 35th birthday, Brad Guzan was in goal for the Americans for the first time since last Nov. 15 at England. Midfielder Sebastian Lletget got his first start since a Lisfranc injury in a World Cup qualifier against Honduras on March 24, 2017.

Reggie Cannon remained at right back, joined by three other holdovers from the lineup that started Friday's 3-0 friendly loss to Mexico at East Rutherford, New Jersey: central defender Aaron Long, 18-year-old left back Sergiño Dest and midfielder Tyler Boyd.

Other newcomers for the 22nd-ranked U.S. included defensive midfielder Jackson Yueill along with more advanced midfielders Christian Roldan and Jordan Morris.

Lletget and Roldan were in front of Yueill, with Boyd on the right wing and Morris on the left flanking Sargent, who replaced Gyasi Zardes heading the attack.

Playing its last match before its CONCACAF Nations League opener against Cuba on Oct. 11, the U.S. was missing many regulars. Central defender John Brooks, right back DeAndre Yedlin and midfielder Tyler Adams are hurt, and star midfielder Christian Pulisic and goalkeeper Zack Steffen returned to their European clubs last weekend.

Uruguay's roster did not include star forwards Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani or midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro. The fifth-ranked La Celeste made three changes from the lineup that began Friday's 2-1 exhibition win at Costa Rica, inserting left back Matías Viña, midfielder Federico Valverde and forward Jonathan Rodríguez.

Holdovers included goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, right back Martín Cáceres, central defenders Sebastián Coates and José Giménez, and midfielders Matías Vecino, Rodrigo Bentancur, Brian Rodríguez and Giorgian De Arrascaeta.



Read more here: https://www.bellinghamherald.com/sports/article234950077.html#storylink=cpy

3 dilemmas facing Slaven Bilic as West Brom prepare for tough Fulham clash

Arguably the standout fixture in the Championship this weekend comes at Craven Cottage as Fulham host West Brom.

Slaven Bilic has enjoyed a strong start to life in charge of the Baggies, as they sit fourth in the league and remain unbeaten, although that is sure to be tested against a classy Fulham side.

This will arguably the biggest challenge that Albion have had under the former West Ham boss and Bilic will be interested to see how side cope.

And, the Croatian has some big decisions to make ahead of the trip to London and here we look at THREE dilemmas facing the boss...

Does Kenneth Zohore or Charlie Austin start up front?

There was understandably a lot of excitement with Albion fans when they completed the signing of Austin as he has real pedigree at this level.

But, no goals from three Championship games hasn't been the best of starts for the 30-year-old and he has competition from Zohore who has scored two in his last three.

Therefore, it's a tough decision for Bilic this weekend and the physicality of the former Cardiff man could see him given the nod in a game where Albion are likely to need to relieve pressure on occasions.

Should Filip Krovinovic come back into the XI?

The on-loan Benfica man has impressed since making the move to The Hawthorns, with his ability on the ball clear to see but he had to settle for a place on the bench last time out against Blackburn.

Of course, that was a game that Albion won and the new boss may be reluctant to make a change.

Yet, keeping possession is going to be crucial against the Cottagers, so the 24-year-old may be required on Saturday but that could mean Matheus Pereira misses out. It's a tough call for Bilic but it's a good position to be in.

Who gets the nod at right-back?

With Kieran Gibbs expected to be fit, the ex-Arsenal man is sure to start against Fulham at left-back.

So, it will be a straight choice between youngster Darnell Furlong and Nathan Ferguson at right-back, with the latter having to fill in against Rovers on the opposite flank last time out.

The youngster was ahead of the QPR summer signing earlier in the campaign, however his lack of experience could convince Bilic to go with Furlong against a potentially matchwinning opponent in Ivan Cavaleiro.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-dilemmas-facing-slaven-bilic-as-west-brom-prepare-for-tough-fulham-clash/

Top five highest rated Fulham players on FIFA 20

With the newest instalment of the EA Sports FIFA video game series due to release at the end of the month, fans and are eager to find out their club's player ratings.

Fulham have returned to the Championship at the first time of asking after relegation from the Premier League, and having kept some impressive names at the club, they do have some of the highest rated players in the division on FIFA.

Here are the top five highest rated Fulham players on FIFA 20:

1. Tom Cairney – CAM – Rating: 78

Cairney is the joint-highest rated player in the EFL with a rating of 78. He boasts impressive passing and dribbling stats, making him the perfect number ten for your Championship team.

2. Aleksander Mitrovic – ST – Rating: 78

Cairney's number one spot is shared with teammate Aleksander Mitrovic. The Serb has the best shooting in the division according to EA Sports, and his five goals already this campaign prove that.

3. Fabricio – GK – Rating: 76

Fabricio is the second best goalkeeper in the Championship on FIFA 20 this year, sitting two ratings below Stoke's Jack Butland.

4. Anthony Knockaert – RW – Rating: 76

The Frenchman is currently on loan from Brighton and is a terrific coup for the Cottagers. The 27-year old is the best dribbler in the division on the new game with a stat of 82.

5. Ivan Cavaleiro – LW – Rating: 75

Another loanee who has hit the ground running is Ivan Cavaleiro. The Portuguese winger has joined from Wolves for the season and having scored three goals in his first six games so far this campaign, his 75 rating surely seems justified.



https://the72.co.uk/144494/top-five-highest-rated-fulham-players-on-fifa-20/

Two arrested in transfer fraud raids in Belgium, Monaco, London

Police investigating suspected fraud linked to the transfer of Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to Newcastle United have raided properties in Belgium, Monaco and London, arresting two people including an agent, officials said Wednesday.

The probe, which earlier this year saw the Belgian FA headquarters searched, is looking into suspected money-laundering related to transfers including Mitrovic's 18.5 million euro (13 million pound) move from Anderlecht to St James' Park in 2015.

Under the direction of a Belgian anti-corruption judge, police and tax officials swooped on Tuesday and Wednesday, detaining an agent in Monaco and his assistant in the Belgian city of Liege.

"The facts involve notably money-laundering operations and private corruption in the context of football player transfers," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The inquiry is separate from Belgium's so-called "footballgate" scandal, which has resulted in 20 suspects being charged since October 2018, including agents, referees and club officials, in a vast investigation into fraud and match-fixing.

Mitrovic, whose committed, physical style of play won him something of a cult following among Newcastle fans, spent three seasons at the club before moving to Fulham in 2018.

His transfer from Anderlecht -- Belgium's most successful club -- involved the agents Pini Zahavi and Fali Ramadani, the Derniere Heure newspaper reported at the time of the initial raids in April.

Prosecutors have not publicly named anyone connected with the probe, but a judicial source confirmed to AFP in April that the Mitrovic transfer was part of the investigation.

The earlier raids saw officers search the Anderlecht training centre as well as the Belgian FA headquarters and the offices of One Goal Management company which specialises in transfers.

The criminal probe adds to Anderlecht's woes on the pitch, where the 34-time Belgian champions are languishing a lowly 13th in the league with just a single win in their first six games this season.



https://www.afp.com/en/news/3955/two-arrested-transfer-fraud-raids-belgium-monaco-london-doc-1k70w99

Two arrested by police as fraud investigation looks into Aleksandar Mitrovic transfer to Newcastle

Wednesday morning has brought news of two arrests, as the authorities continue their investigation into suspected fraud and money laundering with regard to the transfer of Aleksandar Mitrovic from Anderlecht to Newcastle United in 2015.

This story first surfaced in April of this year (see below) when police carried out raids in Belgium at Anderlecht's stadium and training ground, as well as at the Belgian FA and player management company 'One Goal Management'.

However, anybody hoping that it is Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley who have been taken into custody, will be disappointed.

Instead it is an agent and his assistant who have been arrested, one in Liege (Belgium) and the other in Monaco.

Mike Ashley is actually in London this morning, having  an uncomfortable time at the Sports Direct AGM, a meeting from which he has banned the media.

As for Lee Charnley, Tuesday night saw members of The Magpie Group visit the NUFC MD's house, to personally deliver a letter.

Mike Ashley having promised to pay for an independent auditor to look at Newcastle United's books and not even replying to the letter from The Magpie Group over a month ago, when they accepted his generous offer.

AFP report:

Police investigating suspected fraud linked to the transfer of Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to Newcastle United have raided properties in Belgium, Monaco and London, arresting two people including an agent, officials said Wednesday.

The probe, which earlier this year saw the Belgian FA headquarters searched, is looking into suspected money-laundering related to transfers including Mitrovic's 18.5 million euro (13 million pound) move from Anderlecht to St James' Park in 2015.

Under the direction of a Belgian anti-corruption judge, police and tax officials swooped on Tuesday and Wednesday, detaining an agent in Monaco and his assistant in the Belgian city of Liege.

"The facts involve notably money-laundering operations and private corruption in the context of football player transfers," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The inquiry is separate from Belgium's so-called "footballgate" scandal, which has resulted in 20 suspects being charged since October 2018, including agents, referees and club officials, in a vast investigation into fraud and match-fixing.

Mitrovic, whose committed, physical style of play won him something of a cult following among Newcastle fans, spent three seasons at the club before moving to Fulham in 2018.

His transfer from Anderlecht — Belgium's most successful club — involved the agents Pini Zahavi and Fali Ramadani, the Derniere Heure newspaper reported at the time of the initial raids in April.

Prosecutors have not publicly named anyone connected with the probe, but a judicial source confirmed to AFP in April that the Mitrovic transfer was part of the investigation.

The earlier raids saw officers search the Anderlecht training centre as well as the Belgian FA headquarters and the offices of One Goal Management company which specialises in transfers.

The criminal probe adds to Anderlecht's woes on the pitch, where the 34-time Belgian champions are languishing a lowly 13th in the league with just a single win in their first six games this season.

The Mag – 24 April 2019:

Aleksandar Mitrovic moved to Newcastle United in summer 2015 for around £14m and now that move is reported to be part of a investigation into alleged moneylaundering.

Wednesday morning has seen police carry out raids in Belgium at Anderlecht's stadium and training ground, as well as at the Belgian FA and player management company 'One Goal Management'.

All of the Belgian media are covering the case, including HLN, DH and Sporza.

The public prosecutor has told the Belgian media that this raid is completely separate from the large scale fraud investigation in Belgian football (Operation Zero), that started in October.

The investigation is claimed to centre around transfers that happened between 2013 and 2015, Newcastle having bought both Aleksandar Mitrovic and Chancel Mbemba from Anderlect in summer 2015.

Large quantities of documents are said to have been seized in the raids at the various locations, as the police investigation looks to tie everything together.

Super agent Pini Zahavi was involved in the deal that brought Aleksandar Mitrovic to St James Park but he has denied any collaboration with the company One Goal Management in the Serbian striker's deal.

Recent media reports have claimed that Pini Zahavi has been engaged by Mike Ashley to line up a potential replacement for Rafa Benitez.

Both Anderlecht and the Belgian FA have confirmed that they are cooperating fully with the investigation.



https://www.themag.co.uk/2019/09/two-arrested-by-police-as-fraud-investigation-looks-into-aleksandar-mitrovic-transfer-to-newcastle-united/

Exclusive: David Prutton offers honest verdict on Fulham's latest transfer agreement

Fulham have recently bolstered their squad with the addition of Chelsea defender Michael Hector, who will arrive at Craven Cottage in the January transfer window.

The 27-year-old became Fulham's seventh senior signing of the summer, arriving on a two-year deal from the Blues after a bitterly disappointing spell at Stamford Bridge.

The central defender failed to make a single first-team appearance for Chelsea since signing from Championship side Reading in 2015, and has since endured spells out on loan with the Royals, Hull City and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Last season, Hector established himself as one of the best defenders in the second tier on loan with Sheffield Wednesday, who lost out in the race to secure his services in the summer transfer window.

Hector will now train with Fulham up until January, where he will be looking to play week in, week out for a side that will be hoping to be in and around the automatic promotion places come the New Year.

FLW Chief Editor Sam Rourke recently caught up with Sky Sports presenter David Prutton, who offered his thoughts on Fulham's latest transfer deal.

Prutton said that Hector's arrival will certainly add more "solidity" to the side, saying: "At this level, Hector has still got a lot to prove. I think from what we've seen so far, Fulham look like a team who can make a real dent in this league, but consistency wise, it hasn't quite been there.

"Their front-line is pretty stellar for this level, but they can't just rely on outscoring the opposition, they have got to ensure that there is some sort of solidity in the side.

"With Scott Parker in charge, he's able to attract players of Hector's calibre to the club."

Fulham host promotion rivals West Bromwich Albion in Saturday's early kick-off, where Parker's side will be hoping to get back to winning ways after two games without a victory.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/exclusive-david-prutton-offers-honest-verdict-on-fulhams-latest-transfer-agreement/

Belgium football transfer: Two arrested in fraud inquiry


Two people have been detained in an inquiry in Belgium into alleged fraud involving the transfer of football players, prosecutors say.

One, players' agent Christophe Henrotay, was held in Monaco. The other is said to be an associate in Belgium.

They were detained during raids on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Prosecutors said the arrests stem from an ongoing inquiry into the £13m (€18m) transfer of striker Aleksandar Mitrovic from Anderlecht to Newcastle in 2015.

"The facts involve notably money-laundering operations and private corruption in the context of football player transfers," they said on Wednesday.

A search was also carried out in London, where a Metropolitan Police spokesman said they were assisting the Belgian investigation.

It is understood that Newcastle believe they are not directly connected to the inquiry.

In April, Anderlecht premises were searched. No-one was detained at the time.

A separate inquiry into suspected fraud involving transfers during the 2017-2018 season led to raids on premises linked to Anderlecht, Club Bruges and Standard Liège last October.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49662132

Fulham make 'firm offer' for midfielder, want him to travel to see club's facilities – Barcelona also keen

Signing youngsters is as important to clubs as signing senior players in the modern game, with clubs up and down the divisions working hard to secure the next top talent ahead of the competition.

Fulham are a club who have a decent history of developing young talent, and the latest they have their eye on is José Antonio Gómez Márquez, commonly known as Joselito.

The 15-year-old has recently broken through at third division side Coria, starting in both of their games this season.

That's naturally caught the attention of several clubs and Mundo Deportivo claim Fulham are one of them.

According to them, Joselito has a 'firm offer' from the Championship side, who want him and his family to travel over to see the club's facilities and have already completed all the paperwork to make that happen.

If the Cottagers want to get the 15-year-old, though, they will have to fight off Barcelona for his signature, who are keen on the youngster and had a scout there to watch him in action last Sunday.

They will also have to convince the teenager, who is happy in Sevilla and wants to remain there for another year.

He was promised he would play in the National Youth League this year but instead finds himself playing Third Division football and doing well.

It's implied he would prefer that to playing in either of Barcelona or Fulham's youth ranks at this point, although he may look at the case of Ansu Fati, who became Barça's youngest ever goalscorer earlier this month, and fancy his chances.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-make-firm-offer-midfielder-want-travel-see-clubs-facilities-barcelona-also-keen/

Games for the Weekend 14/09
After the 'international break' we welcome West Brom to the Cottage for a 'traditional' 3 o'clock kick-off.
So after 6 league games we've won 3, lost 2 and drawn 1, West Brom have won 3 and drawn 3, they are one of only three teams not to have lost a game so far this season. Fulham have a +5 goal difference whilst West Brom have +3, "on paper" this should be a very tight game.

It looks as if Gareth Barry won't be fit, which will be good for us, however we'll not have Harry Arter, good for them, due to suspension so both teams will have a 'key' player missing.
With Mitro getting 3 goals in the 2 international games he's back on fire, Stef Jo' got a goal for Noway and Steven Sessegnon had really good outings for the England U21s.

West Brom, on paper, are the toughest team we've had to face this so far season, it should be a good game.

COYWs

Games of Interest...
Friday 13th
Derby v Cardiff

Saturday 14th
Fulham v West Brom
Blackburn v Millwall
Charlton v Birmingham
Preston NE v Brentford
QPR v Luton
Stoke v Bristol City
Swansea v Nottm Forest

Sunday 15th
Barnsley v Leeds

---

come on over to the forum and join in the discussion...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0



https://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=917

The Tony Gale Column

As we get ready to recommence the Championship campaign, I reckon we can be fairly satisfied with our position of sixth in the table after six outings. The important thing was to be up and around it. You don't want to be cut adrift and have to spend the season making up ground. I don't think anyone's going to be running away with the league this season. It's been a solid enough start to proceedings, but I do think there's more to come. We're enjoying lots of possession, but I would like to see us create more chances. I think Scott will be wise to that as well.


The new boys seem to have settled in well. Anthony Knockaert and Ivan Cavaleiro arrived with a lot of quality and it's great that they've been able to hit the ground running. Harry Arter will be disappointed with his red card in Cardiff, but otherwise he's been very good. We haven't seen an abundance of Bobby Decordova-Reid and Harrison Reed, but they've also done well when they have been on the pitch. Importantly, they're boys who have all been here before, so they know what it takes to succeed in this division. Michael Hector is another who knows the Championship well, so his official arrival in January will further strengthen the group.


It's a testing return to action this Saturday, as West Brom will be one of the teams up the top, no doubt about it. They've still got some Premier League quality players, and they'll continue improving the more used to the division Slaven Bilic gets. My old teammate Julian Dicks is a coach there now with Slaven. I spoke to Dicksy the other night and he was saying how difficult they've found the division and how every point you gain is a hard earned one.

After that we're off to Sheffield Wednesday, which is never an easy trip. I commentated on their first game against Reading, and I was impressed with them. Lee Bullen was in charge then but of course Garry Monk's taken over now, so they'll be hoping to have that new manager bounce. They've got some experienced players in there, and they're especially strong in midfield. It's away from home, and Hillsborough is what I call a proper football ground. It's a big club and that will be one of our more difficult fixtures this season.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/september/11/the-tony-gale-column

Fulham v Albion match preview

Albion will search for a seventh game unbeaten in the Sky Bet Championship when they travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham on Saturday (ko 12.30pm).

Fulham

Their last outing

Fulham drew 1-1 with Cardiff City in the Welsh capital just before the September international break.

Josh Murphy put the home side in front on 42 minutes but Scott Parker's men responded almost immediately through Aleksandar Mitrović to level it up at half-time.

Neither team could find a winner after the break but Cottagers midfielder Harry Arter was sent off, meaning he won't be able to play against Albion this weekend.

FULHAM: Bettinelli; Sessegnon, Mawson, Ream, Bryan; Reed, Arter; Knockaert (Johansen 71), Cairney (Le Marchand 89), Cavaleiro (Kamara 81); Mitrovic.

In the dugout

Fulham have picked up ten points from six Sky Bet Championship games under boss Scott Parker, who was given his first ever managerial job on a full-time basis in the summer.

The midfielder picked up 18 England caps during a career that saw him turn out for Charlton Athletic, Norwich City, Chelsea, Newcastle United, West Ham and Tottenham before he finished his playing days at Craven Cottage.

Following his retirement, the 38-year-old coached Spurs' Under-18s ahead of moving to Fulham and becoming part of the backroom team under Slaviša Jokanović and then Claudio Ranieri - who he took over from on a caretaker basis towards the end of last season's difficult Premier League campaign.

One to watch

Powerful forward Mitrović is certainly one who Albion will need to keep a close eye on this weekend.

The Serbian striker netted three times for his country against Portugal (1) and Luxembourg (2) over the international break, and already has five Sky Bet Championship goals to his name this season.

Our last meeting

The most recent time Albion faced the Whites was in 2014 at The Hawthorns, with now-manager Parker playing for the visitors that day.

Ashkan Dejagah fired Fulham into a first-half lead but Matej Vydra restored parity for Pepe Mel's Baggies with four minutes left to play.

Stats

Albion

• Slaven Bilić's side are unbeaten from their first six league matches (W3, D3, L0), and are one of just three teams in the second tier yet to lose a league game.

• This weekend's fixture will mark exactly six years since Albion's last trip to Fulham, when Gareth McAuley's late equaliser secured a 1-1 draw.

• The Baggies will be looking for their first win away at Craven Cottage since a League Cup victory in 2005 on Saturday.

Fulham

• The Lilywhites currently occupy sixth place in the table on goal difference, having won three, drawn one and lost two of their opening clashes.

• Fulham have not lost at home to Albion in the league since 1967.

• Front man Mitrović is joint top scorer in the Championship at the moment (5), and has a total number of eight goals for club and country in the 2019/20 campaign.

Head to head

	Albion wins	Draws	Fulham wins
League	31	17	24
League Cup	2	2	2
FA Cup	3	0	1
Total	36	19	27

Our man to watch

Grady Diangana netted a stunning solo goal the last time he pulled on the blue and white stripes, and Baggies fans will be hoping he can continue the fantastic form he showed before the break.

The skilful winger is currently Albion's leading scorer, netting twice against Luton Town and once against Blackburn Rovers in August.

Man in the middle

The referee for Saturday's match is David Webb, and he'll be assisted by Lee Venamore and Robert Merchant with Andy Davies as the fourth official.

Webb has already taken charge of Albion this season - the 1-1 draw with Millwall last month.

Ticket news

Bilić's team will be backed by a SOLD-OUT away following, with just under 2,000 Baggies ready to roar their side on at Craven Cottage.

Thanks as always for your tremendous support.

Follow the game

Comprehensive coverage of the clash with Rovers is available in our Match Centre, where you can listen to live commentary on WBA Radio or follow our live text feed.

WBA Radio is the only service that allows Baggies fans around the world - from Smethwick to the Sahara - access to uninterrupted live commentaries from every one of our competitive games. iFollow subscribers can join Gez Mulholland and Andy Johnson for Baggies-biased live commentary on Saturday.

International supporters who have an iFollow subscription may be able to live stream the game depending on where they are located around the world. To find out, click here.

You'll also be able to find score updates on the club's social media channels.



https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2019/september2/fulham-v-albion-match-preview/

Collins Column: 10 From 18

The numbers from our start of the season are there in black and white, for all to see. Jack J Collins takes a look back on the opening period of our return to the Championship.

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Three wins. Two losses. One draw. 10 points from a possible 18 for Scott Parker's Fulham in the opening salvo to the season, which is reasonable. Not setting the world on fire, but slowly gelling into a more cohesive unit, with brief high points like when we thought we were back for good against Millwall, and brief low points like the complete lack of tactical aptitude against Barnsley.

Given how bad that opening day was, I think it's important to give Scott some immediate credit for learning from his mistakes. The way that Fulham set up that day, with Mawson trying to arrow long balls into the paths of the wingers, reminiscent of what he did a lot of the time for Swansea, was clearly not suited to the way we play; and Scott clearly saw this and put an end to it.

I'm all for experimentation – if Barnsley that day had assumed Fulham were coming to play intricate, one-touch football, then we certainly managed to surprise them. The issue was that we looked like we were also surprising ourselves.

Parker has always come across as someone with a good reading of the game, and who understands it tactically; so I wasn't surprised to see things change quickly after that experiment didn't work.

Against Blackburn and Huddersfield we weren't great, but we got the job done, with some wonderful goals in the process, including Tom Cairney's goal of the month after Harry Arter laid him the ball. 10 from 18.

But there's something to look at that's more than just points here: Fulham's first six league games have seen all of Fulham's front four get themselves on the scoresheet already. Five for Mitrovic, three for Cavaleiro, and one each for Knockaert and Cairney.

Goals will come from elsewhere too, but this is a good sign, that there's some connection between the four already and that a goalscoring threat is emerging true from our killer quartet. If Fulham are going to get promoted this season, it's these four who will bear the main creative burden of carrying this side to glory.

But that's not to downplay the rest of the side. In Mawson and Reed we have one of the league's best pairings on paper; in Bryan and Sessegnon we have a proven full-back in this division dovetailing with the latest exciting prospect from the academy; in Arter, Reed and Johansen, we have midfielders who can do the hard yards without losing the nous to pick a pass; and in Bobby Reed we have a natural goalscorer able to provide ammunition from the bench. There is serious quality across this squad.

It's still early in the campaign, with Fulham sitting tied for 6th in the standings, but the club's odds for promotion have already shortened since the the start of the season, falling from 9/4 to evens. There's five games to play between here and the next International break. Another 10 points would see Fulham on 20 from 33, which would more than likely to well remain within Playoff grasp and on the tails of those in the automatic hunt.

Home fixtures against Wigan and Charlton should be winnable, despite the latter's early season pace, whilst a win over fellow promotion hopefuls West Brom this weekend would be a serious lift straightaway before a tricky trip to Hillsborough. And Reading is, well, Reading. Who knows what will go down at the Madjeski!

It's not been the perfect start, by any means, but if you'd have offered me 10 from 18 at the start of the season I would have taken it, and it gives us a platform to kick on from. We're notoriously slow starters, and this is a reasonably good start.

Scott will be pleased with some of what he's seen, by no means all of it, but if he continues to learn from his mistakes and kick on with how to utilise the weapons at his disposal in the right way, then there's plenty to suggest that we'll be able to challenge for those automatic spots this season.

You Whites.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2019-09-11-collins-column-10-from-18/

Fulham: Lucas Piazon had heart set on staying at Craven Cottage

Former Fulham player Lucas Piazon has revealed that it was his intention to prolong his stay at Craven Cottage, despite his time at the club coming to an end in the summer of 2018.

Piazon has embarked on a series of loans since signing for Chelsea in 2012, and according to Portuguese outlet A Bola (via Sport Witness), the 25-year-old had his heart set on making his two-year loan spell at Fulham permanent – though a move never materialised.

Piazon was part of the Fulham side that gained promotion to the Premier League, and it was his understanding that Chelsea would allow him to join the Whites on a permanent deal following the conclusion of the 2017/18 season.

However, as told to A Bola, an agreement never came to fruition.

He said: "When I signed for Fulham, it was super fresh, I really enjoyed the club.

"It was there that I decided that the best thing was to be sold, but my agents said: 'You get another year on loan, the clubs will eventually come to an agreement and you get out for good'. I then played another year for Fulham, we made it to the Premier League, but the negotiations didn't advance. I was waiting, waiting... and nothing.

"[Maurizio] Sarri was the manager of Chelsea at that time, he saw all this and said to me: 'I register here, stay with us'. I stayed, but in January I had to go out again."

Piazon has endured something of an unsettled career, with the Brazilian ending up at Chievo Verona in the latter half of last season, and is now at his seventh loan club from the Stamford Bridge outfit – joining Portuguese side Rio Ave on a temporary two-year deal.

Even at Fulham, it was something of a roller coaster ride, with a leg fracture disrupting the league campaign that would eventually end with five goals to his name and promotion glory.

And with the club left without a recognised left-winger (and having bought right-sided forwards Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert on loan in the summer), perhaps all parties would have been satisfied to extend Piazon's Fulham stay.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham/fulham-lucas-piazon-had-heart-set-on-staying-at-craven-cottage/

'At this point I don't think he gets in' – 26-y/o's first-team chances at Fulham: The verdict

This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Fulham players return to Craven Cottage after the international break, to prepare for the visit of West Brom in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off in the Championship, looking to get back to winning ways following a draw last time out against Cardiff City.

For loan striker Bobby Reid the challenge remains to try and force a way into the Fulham starting XI on a frequent basis, with the Cardiff City player's chances limited this season to appearances from the bench and in the cup competitions.

So does Reid deserve a starting role at Fulham?

We discuss........

Louie Chandler

"I don't think so.

"And that is not me accusing him of not being good enough, but who do you replace?

"Cavaleiro, Mitrovic and Knockaert have all been excellent up-front for the Cottagers so far this season and it would be incredibly harsh to drop any of them.

"When Reid has had his chances, granted, he has performed pretty well. But well enough to displace one of those three? No."

Ned Holmes

"No, at this point I don't think he gets in.

"It is a tough one for Reid because of the strength of Fulham's starting XI, particularly their front three.

"Mitrovic, Knockaert and Cavaleiro have all started the season well and I can't see any of them dropping out of the side.

"Reid has played in central midfield in the past but I don't think that is his best position by any means and I'm not sure he's a better option that Arter, Cairney or Johansen.

"The 26-year-old has been given opportunities from the bench and in the cup but is yet to really seize those.

"He needs to do more with those chances before he warrants a starting place."

Chris Thorpe

"Does Bobby Reid deserve to start at Fulham? In a word, no! I don't think it would be a wise decision for Parker to change his starting 11 that has been playing so well recently.

"Although Reid is a talented player, I do not see him ever displacing Mitrovic from the lone striking role, and at present he also wouldn't find a place in midfield.

"At Cardiff and Bristol City, Reid benefited from playing up front with a strike partner, with Fulham playing one up top, it severely decreases his chances of starting.

"The only way I can see Reid getting into the starting 11 is if Mitrovic picks up an injury or Parker chooses to change his system."



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/at-this-point-i-dont-think-he-gets-in-26-y-os-first-team-chances-at-fulham-the-verdict/

Chicago Fire GM reacts as academy standout Damian Las heads to Fulham

Long rumored but made official Tuesday, US youth international goalkeeper and former Chicago Fire academy standout Damian Las has swapped Chicago for London, officially joining English side Fulham.

Las, 17, is a regular across various USYNT levels, including most recently with the Under-17s. A highly touted teenager, the Fire had long been in touch with Las about their plan and worked to keep him in the organization.

"On two occasions we shared with Damian and his father a plan for his development," Fire GM and president Nelson Rodriguez told MLSsoccer.com. "Those plans contemplated his expressed desire to keep open the possibility of going to college but they also included an offer to sign with us as a Homegrown player."

After a shakeup in the club's academy a few years ago, the Fire opted not to field U-18/U-19 sides this season, which would have ostensibly left Las without regular academy minutes.

"Our plan did not include Damian participating with the academy team on a full-time basis," Rodriguez said. "It was our intention to have him train with the first team, take experiences abroad and eventually move into a starting role with a USL team. His time with the U-19 academy team would have been to ensure he had enough games this year only."

Earlier this year, MLS announced the league would begin to assert training compensation claims per FIFA regulations and seek FIFA-administered solidarity payments, something it hadn't participated in before. In years past, the Fire would have lost Las to Fulham without any sort of reimbursement but now they are due a yet-to-be determined amount of money. A league source tells MLSsoccer.com that the Fire could receive in the neighborhood of $250,000 if all goes well.

"MLS will work to recover our due training compensation," Rodriguez said. "The fee is determined by a formula set by FIFA."

Las wasn't the only highly rated 'keeper in the Fire academy this season. In March, Chicago inked Gabriel Slonina, then 14-years-old, to a Homegrown deal, making him the second-youngest player in MLS history to sign a contract behind only Freddy Adu.

"The only similarity between the two players is the position they play," Rodriguez said. "As in every case, each situation has its own unique characteristics. We proposed a sporting plan to Gabriel and his family. They felt it was a proper plan and agreed to the offer."

With Homegrown midfielder Djordje Mihailovic a key member of the first team and fellow Homegrown Jeremiah Gutjahr also making contributions in 2019, Rodriguez feels the academy is coming along, regardless of where a player like Las signs.

"We don't feel any sense of validation because a player signed abroad," Rodriguez said. "We are proud of the care we give to our student-athletes, both on and off the field of play. In the last three years we have had 17 different players invited to 56 youth national team camps, 12 academy players train with the first team, six academy players sign pro contracts and placed 98% of our academy players into college, nearly all on scholarships. Most people already know we are a top academy."



https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/09/11/chicago-fire-gm-reacts-academy-standout-damian-las-heads-fulham

Back to Business

With the first international break of the season complete, it's time to get our minds focused again on Fulham. We had just the four first teamers in action for their countries in Mitrovic, Ream, Sessegnon and Christie and it looks as though everyone has come away unscathed. We'll find out tomorrow if we have any other injury concerns, but I think that Parker has a squad with a full bill of health. Harry Artur is suspended, though, so we know already that he won't feature this weekend.

We have our toughest match of the season so far coming up on Saturday. At least on paper, that is. West Brom have always been a tough nut to crack and now, under the leadership of Slaven Bilic, we are up against a side vying for automatic promotion. They are unbeaten this season in the league with three wins and three draws putting them in fourth position in the table. Last time out they came back from two goals down against Blackburn to win 3-2, so we know that this team has a bit of metal about them. Encouragingly for us, though, they have failed to keep a clean sheet this season, so with our front three of Mitrovic, Cavaleiro and Knockaert we should be able to trouble a leaky defence.

We'll have to look out for tricky winger Grady Diangana, on loan from West Ham. The England U21 international has scored three goals this season and is the sort of player who gives defenders headaches. He, alongside Charlie Austin and Kenneth Zohore, will give us something to think about. The Baggies squad has a tonne of experience and know-how at this level, so we will need to massively up our game from the draw in Cardiff if we are to get anything.

Winning this game would send out the message that we are going to be fighting at the right side of the table come May. It will hopefully give us a better idea of where we are as a squad under Parker's management. If I'm honest, I don't think we have seen the best of this Fulham squad yet. OK, the Millwall game was special, but we need to be playing consistently near that level if we are to go up. Everything went right for us that night, but we are going to have very few games were that is the case. We still seem to start games slowly which is something that we desperately need to get out of our system. With the talent in our squad other teams should be shaking in their boots with the prospect of facing us, but everyone knows that defensively we aren't as solid as we could be. This gives other teams hope against us.

I suppose the biggest question at the minute for Parker to be pondering is who does he play in goal. Marcus Bettinelli has been a great servant for this club, but I worry at the amount of mistakes being made in goal. While I still think that he is just going through a slump, and is a much better keeper than what he is showing at the minute, I can completely understand the calls to let Marek Rodak, our very highly rated number two, have a chance. I think Parker will stick with Betts for now, but I'd imagine that he doesn't have too many chances left.

As I've said before, this will be our biggest challenge of the season so far. Hopefully at 1430 on Saturday we can just enjoy the rest of the weekend's football after watching Fulham romp to another win.

#COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/09/back-to-business-3/

Chelsea and Jamaican Centre-Back to Join Fulham in January

Michael Hector is set to play for Fulham permanently in January next year after making zero appearances for Chelsea since signing in 2015.

The 27-year-old, who played at Sheffield Wednesday on loan last season, has not played a single game for the Blues. He has reportedly signed a contract with Fulham worth £8 million that will run until 2022. The centre-back has started training with Fulham and will officially complete his move in the New Year.

Hector in an interview said that he is happy to be part of the setup at Craven Cottage. He is hoping that things will work out well and for Fulham to be promoted to the Premier League.

Hector joined Chelsea from Reading in 2015 but did not play any competitive game since going to Stamford Bridge. He was loaned to Reading (2015 – 2016), Eintracht Frankfurt (2016 – 2017) and Hull City (2017 – 2018). Last season, Hector won the player of the year award while he was with Sheffield on loan.



http://chelseafconline.com/2019/09/chelsea-and-jamaican-centre-back-to-join-fulham-in-january/

This Is What West Brom Coach Told Me – Fulham Legend Ahead of Championship Clash

Fulham legend Tony Gale has revealed what West Brom first team coach Julian Dicks told him about life in the Championship, ahead of the return of club action this weekend.

Dicks took the job of first team coach at the Hawthorns this summer following the appointment of Slaven Bilic as West Brom manager.

Fulham suffered relegation from the Premier League last season and are bidding to bounce back up to the top flight at the first time of asking, while West Brom failed to win promotion last term, losing in the playoffs.

The Cottagers play host to the Baggies this weekend at Craven Cottage and Gale, who expects Bilic's side to improve as the season goes on, has revealed what Dicks told him.

"It's a testing return to action this Saturday, as West Brom will be one of the teams up the top, no doubt about it", Gale wrote in his column on Fulham's official site.

"They've still got some Premier League quality players, and they'll continue improving the more used to the division Slaven Bilic gets.

"My old team-mate Julian Dicks is a coach there now with Slaven.

"I spoke to Dicksy the other night and he was saying how difficult they've found the division and how every point you gain is a hard earned one", he added.

West Brom have taken 12 points from their opening six Championship games, while Fulham have taken two points fewer from the same number of matches.

Fulham headed into the international break on the back of a 1-1 draw at Cardiff City, while West Brom edged out Blackburn Rovers 3-2.



http://www.insidefutbol.com/2019/09/11/this-is-what-west-brom-coach-told-me-fulham-legend-ahead-of-championship-clash/436984/

Fulham: Whites interested in bringing Barcelona target to Craven Cottage

Reports in Spain suggest that Fulham are among the potential suitors of 15-year-old prospect Jose Antonio Gomez Marquez, who plays for third-tier Spanish outfit Coria.

Estadio Deportivo suggests (via Sport Witness) that Fulham, as well as a host of top-flight Spanish clubs, are interested in bringing in the youngster from the Andalusia-based side, with the Whites said to have offered the teenager the chance to visit the club ahead of a potential move to Craven Cottage.

More commonly known as Joselito, Coria's youth product has also attracted the interest of Villarreal, Alaves and Real Sociedad – while giants Barcelona have been thought to have sent scouts to assess the potential of the player.

A possible stumbling block in the deal for Fulham could lie in the fact that Joselito is said to be happy at his current club.

Although, despite plenty of clubs appearing to be queuing up for the youngster's signature, it appears that Fulham are certainly at a more advanced stage of an approach, having sent relevant paperwork in order to further progress with talks.

Signing Joselito would add to the young contingent at Craven Cottage, with teenager Steven Sessegnon among those to have made a first-team breakthrough this season, alongside other first-team newcomers Tyrese Francois and Ben Davis.

Stealing a march on Spanish champions Barcelona may well be something to shout about for Scott Parker should he pull this off – and perhaps the five-time Champions League winners' interest in Joselito is a sign of the potential that the 15-year-old possesses.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham/fulham-whites-interested-in-bringing-barcelona-target-to-craven-cottage/