Friday Fulham Stuff - 14/10/22...

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Ex-Arsenal and Fulham starlets convince Portsmouth boss the future's bright after Blues six shine in defeat of Southampton
Danny Cowley is predicting a bright Pompey future after six starlets lit up the south-coast derby.

The Blues claimed a 5-2 success over a young Southampton team in the Hampshire Senior Cup on Tuesday night to progress into the third round.

Although Cowley named a strong side for the Fratton Park occasion, second-year scholars Josh Dockerill and Adam Payce were named in the starting XI.

In addition, first-year scholars Harvey Laidlaw, Brian Quarm, Dan Murray and Koby Mottoh appeared off the bench during the second half.

Mottoh, a summer recruit from Arsenal, claimed Pompey's fifth goal in stoppage time in front of a jubilant Fratton End, with left-back Laidlaw involved in the build-up.

And Cowley was delighted with the impact of Zesh Rehman's Academy youngsters on the big occasion.

He told The News: 'It was a really positive night for the football club.

'Koby nearly scored earlier when he hit the inside of the post and it went straight into the goalkeeper's arms, so it was great he got another opportunity. A great moment.

'Young Brian (Quarm) came on at right-back and did great. He has a real athleticism about him, real physical qualities, some of the qualities which we can't give them.

'He's a good one-v-one defender and we are looking to help him in terms of the tactical side of the game and the offensive side of the game.

'Dan Murray as well, he's a central midfield player, a really good receiver and good passer, it was a good night for the Academy.

'I thought Josh (Dockerill) was excellent in the first half. I like Josh, I liked him a lot when I saw him last year, he's an intelligent defender, he reads the game well, he senses danger and puts fires out.

'In possession he has good receiving skills and good passing skills, he can step in and draw the press and find the solution.

'When Southampton went a bit more direct, he stepped up and dealt with that physical side of the game really well.

'And we think a lot of Adam, he has a real energy about him, is tactically a bright boy, a very good learner, and I think the future is bright for him.'

Payce has already made two Papa John's Trophy appearances this season, while was handed his debut in the competition in November 2021, aged 17 years and 20 days.

Meanwhile, Laidlaw and ex-Fulham defender Quarm came off the bench the previous week in the 5-0 demolition of Aston Villa Under-21s for their first-team debuts.

Cowley added: 'Tuesday night was great for all the young players, with Adam and Josh both starting.

'The boys who came on were all first-year scholars, so the four of them which appeared off the bench were aged 16.

'It was a great experience for them, great for them to play with the senior players.

'While I thought the seniors were excellent with the young ones in the way they supported them and looked after them, helping them through the game.'



https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/portsmouth-fc/ex-arsenal-and-fulham-starlets-convince-portsmouth-boss-the-futures-bright-after-blues-six-shine-in-defeat-of-southampton-3877236

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Journalist provides Reading FC transfer update on 30-year-old following Fulham departure

Reading are at their 25-man squad limit at this stage and won't be able to sign former Fulham defender Michael Hector because of this, according to an update from Berkshire Live journalist Jonathan Low.

The Royals can only have 25 eligible players in their first-team squad as part of an EFL plan agreed last November, with the club limited not just on the amount of players they can have but also the amount they could spend in the transfer market and the size of their wage bill.

Already moving to secure the services of Amadou Mbengue and Andy Carroll following the closure of the summer transfer window, they previously looked to be in with a chance of adding another free agent to their squad with Hector returning to train with the Berkshire outfit.

Paul Ince's side are currently short of options in central defence with Scott Dann, Liam Moore and Naby Sarr all out of action at this stage – and it's currently unclear whether Sam Hutchinson will be fit in time for Saturday's clash against West Bromwich Albion.

With this, they requested permission from the EFL to bring in Hector as a replacement for Dann, who looks set to be out of action for the foreseeable future.

But Low has now confirmed that he won't be signing for the Royals at this stage with their request denied, though it remains to be seen whether they move for him in January with Mbengue and Carroll coming to the end of their contracts at that point.

The Verdict:
He would have been a good addition, so it's a shame for the Berkshire side that they were unable to get it over the line with the 30-year-old having plenty of experience in the top two tiers of English football.

With Tom McIntyre able to play at left centre-back, Hector could have filled in on the centre or right of the back three if Hutchinson is out for a while and Ince wants to keep Yiadom at right wing-back.

Thankfully for them, Junior Hoilett has performed excellently at wing-back this season and this has enabled Yiadom to play more centrally, providing the Royals with a lifeline.

However, one or two more injuries in that department could force Ince to start a youngster, with John Clarke potentially the man to step in if there are more setbacks in this department.

McIntyre is prone to an injury every so often, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the crisis deepen. You just hope that doesn't prove to be costly for the club – because they have made a very strong start to this campaign against all odds.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/journalist-provides-reading-fc-transfer-update-on-30-year-old-following-fulham-departure/

[WhiteJC]

FPL Gameweek 11: Best James replacements + keep or sell Mitrovic?

Throughout the 2022/23 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season, our stellar team of Pro Pundits, Hall of Famers and guest contributors will be sharing their thoughts and own transfer plans.

Only Premium Members are able to read every single one of these pieces, so sign up today to get full access not just to the editorial content but all of the other benefits, from hundreds of Opta stats to a transfer planner.

Here, seven-time top 10k finisher Zophar tackles some FPL hot topics and reveals his team plans for Gameweek 11.

It's getting closer to the World Cup and it seems that my FPL team is already in the spirit of the tournament with all the flags I'm seeing. In this piece, I will be discussing the injury issues around Reece James (£6.1m) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.8m) while also diving into the Liverpool dilemma ahead of their amazing run of fixtures from Gameweek 12 on.

LIVERPOOL
I won't go too much into the scheduling as Neale has already discussed it in this article but just in case you missed it, I've included the graph from the piece that shows that not only do Liverpool have the shortest lead-up time to Gameweek 12, they also have the shortest turnaround time ahead of Gameweek 13.

A lot of the reaction when Luis Diaz (£8.0m) got injured was that it would make the Liverpool front four of Diogo Jota (£8.9m), Roberto Firmino (£8.0m), Darwin Nunez (£8.8m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.7m) 'nailed' due to lack of options but we have seen in the past that Jurgen Klopp is big on sports science and with this schedule in mind, there will be rotation over these three matches. Sunday's game against Manchester City will no doubt feature their first-choice XI but we could see some players drop in and out for the West Ham United and Nottingham Forest fixtures.

Liverpool stuck with their 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 system against Rangers in the Champions League midweek and benched both Jota and Salah, with Fabio Carvalho (£5.4m) and Harvey Elliott (£5.0m) featuring in their place. Salah came on in the second half in the centre-forward role with Jota stationed behind him and got a hat-trick in under 6.5 minutes.

Klopp said after the game :

"Yeah, different position, Mo inside (forward). An outstanding player we all know that, today he showed that."

Salah is likely to return to his role on the right wing against Manchester City but having how had his rest, coupled with the early substitution against Arsenal, I think he is one of their most nailed attackers for the Gameweek 11-13 run. There is a chance that Nunez gets benched or gets managed minutes in either the West Ham or Forest matches, which could see the Egyptian feature up top – and that would increase his goal threat significantly.

We should be cautious about reading too much into a match against Rangers but personally, I am keeping the Salah option for Gameweek 12 open now. I was thinking earlier this week about moving further away from FPL's most expensive player, downgrading Kevin De Bruyne (£12.4m) to perhaps Leandro Trossard (£6.8m) and upgrading Mitrovic to Harry Kane (£11.4m), but I don't think I will be doing that now. I'd rather wait and see how the Reds fare in Gameweek 11. If I was a Salah owner, I would definitely hold him for now.

For all that's been said about Liverpool's malaise, I still see them scoring goals against West Ham and in particular against Forest, Leeds United and Southampton. I definitely want a piece of that attack and if not Salah, I will likely plump for Nunez, who looks to be the focal point of the attack in this set-up. But I am now leaning towards leaving this decision to Gameweek 12.

While we are discussing Liverpool, Andrew Robertson (£6.7m) was on the bench last night. In this current system, the left-back has been given significantly more license to bomb forward due to the more defensive-minded Joe Gomez (£4.5m) being stationed at right-back, so the Scot could be a good pick to replace Reece James. The obvious concern is rotation: having just returned from injury, he could feature against Man City but then may miss either West Ham or Forest.

While on the subject of James replacements, I think Gomez is worth a shout if you need someone just for the short term and you don't mind benching him this week. There are potential clean sheets against West Ham, Forest and Leeds and he did get an assist last night in open play.

Mitrovic: Sell or keep?
We will be discussing all these issues and more on this week's episode of The FPL Wire. Check it out here from 2.30pm BST on Thursday.



https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/2022/10/13/fpl-gameweek-11-best-james-replacements-keep-or-sell-mitrovic/

[WhiteJC]

The Tony Gale Column

A couple of my old pals attended the game on Sunday, Les Strong and Rodney Marsh, and I ended up pretty much being their chauffeur! I showed them around and took them down to the media room where we caught up with a couple of other Fulham old boys in Paul Parker and Rufus Brevett. Les and Rodney were in a corporate box so I took them up there before heading to my commentary box, where the fun begins!

I thought Fulham were outstanding in the early stages, and scored a wonderful goal through Andreas Pereira. I spoke to a lot of ex-West Ham players and they were saying that for the first 20 minutes, Fulham were the best team they'd seen down there, with how quick we were on the break, and how composed we looked. I thought West Ham looked like they had a little bit of a hangover from Anderlecht on the Thursday, and that it was a good time to play them when they're coming back from Europe. When we went one up, I thought if we got another one it would be all over. Then Dan James unfortunately hit the bar, and West Ham slowly crept back into the game.

There was a lot of talk about the West Ham goals. I remember saying in the commentary in the lead-up to the penalty that Andreas can't touch Craig Dawson again, because Dawson is trying to buy a penalty by running into him. It was experienced play by Dawson.

For the second goal, we were listening to the VAR conversation, and at first we thought he was offside when Gianluca Scamacca went through. Lucas Paqueta sent him through between the central defenders, he takes it down and then lobs it so nonchalantly, which made it look like he thought it was going to be disallowed, because he was so calm. We had the slo-mo replays, and Bobby De Cordova-Reid was playing him onside. And then we're hearing that they're looking at the handball. It has to be clear and obvious, and I don't think it is. That's where they get a bit of a tangle, because it wasn't just once, it was two occasions – the first one when it's coming through the air, and then when it bounced up as well.

The last one is handball. Whether you think it's accidental or not, Michail Antonio has benefitted by the ball hitting his arm and then going through on goal. And then you see instances in the other games, Marcus Rashford for example, where they give the goal. It definitely needs clearing up.

I ain't sure on the Scamacca one, but the Antonio one I'm 100 per cent sure it's handball. I think it's confusing to everyone. Whether or not you're deliberately seeking to get an advantage, you're getting an advantage if it hits your hand like that.

This is the first time we've lost two Premier League games in a row, so it's important we don't let that define us, and I think Saturday's game against Bournemouth is a good game to bounce back in. It's a really important game, and one can only hope that Mitro is back fit for that one. That said, I believe we can beat them whether he plays or not. Yes they're in good form and their caretaker manager has given them fresh impetus, but I think we're a much better side.

We follow that with another match at Craven Cottage a few days later against Aston Villa, which is also a fixture we've got to be targeting maximum points from. I've seen them and Bournemouth twice each this season and, without doubt, we're a better team than both of them.

I just wanted to comment on Tom Cairney, who's come on in every match so far this season, as I think he's been excellent. He's probably pushing for a start with how he's done when coming off the bench. The only issue with that, is that the midfield three has been playing so well. João Palhinha, Harrison Reed and Andreas Pereira, in those early stages on Sunday, and throughout the season really, were in excellent form.

I'd like to finish with a word on Fred Callaghan, a man I knew very well. Fred often told a story of how he got me my move to Blackburn Rovers, which was so Fred. He was a great geezer. I'd left West Ham in the summer, and needed to play some games to get fit. I'd been training but I needed a club to come in, so Fred rang me up and asked if I fancied a game for his team, Wealdstone, against Farnborough. He told me they weren't very good and he understood I'd just come out the Premier League, but I said I didn't care because I just needed to play. We got beat 1-0 by Farnborough, who had Dean Coney playing for them, and within six hours of coming off the pitch I'd signed for Blackburn. And Fred said, until the day he died, that he made that move possible because Blackburn were watching the game!

He was such a lovely man. He did all the corporate stuff at Fulham, and he probably took a lot of the punters home afterwards in his cab – and no doubt made a few quid out of them! He was such a character. I came up against him when he was manager of Brentford as well. A really nice bloke, and he leaves behind a lovely family.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/october/13/the-tony-gale-column/

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"Found agreement in no time" – Player reveals Fulham transfer took shape after failed move to another club

Aleksandar Mitrović initially arrived at Fulham on loan from Newcastle United in the 2018 winter market and his stay there was made permanent later that year.

Since moving to London, the striker has impressed for the Premier League side, scoring over 100 goals in all competitions over the years.

La Dernière Heure made a trip to England to interview the 28-year-old. They discussed a few topics, including the Fulham star's old club, Anderlecht, who face West Ham United in the UEFA Conference League tie later today.
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The Serbia international had an opportunity to return to the Jupiler Pro League side in 2018. Anderlecht's failure in securing his services opened up an opportunity for Fulham to quickly wrap up the deal to eventually sign him.

"I was very, very, very close to a return. It was all about the details. I was in Neerpede to finalize the deal in the last hours of the transfer window. Teodorczyk was supposed to leave for Udinese, and Anderlecht would use that money to loan me," he said.

"At the last minute, the deal with Udinese was not made. And in no time, I found an agreement with Fulham. It was in Neerpede I signed for Fulham and the doctor from Anderlecht who did the medical tests. It was the most stressful day of my life."

Mitrović has been successful in impressing for the English capital club. With regards to his spell at Fulham so far, he explained: "If someone had predicted this to me, I would have thought they were crazy. But you see, when you believe in yourself...I immediately felt a connection with the fans and players of Fulham."

"When the games go on and on, and the teammates believe in you and we have the confidence, it can go fast. But honestly, I don't play to break records. When I'm old, it'll be nice to Google how many goals I've scored.  Now I make a lot of sacrifices, I give everything so that I don't have regrets later. I can sleep soundly."

That has not stopped Marco Silva's man from opening the door to return to Anderlecht in the future.

"One day, I would like to play again in Anderlecht. You never know how a career can turn out. And anyway, I will remain a supporter for life. In Anderlecht, the kid Mitro became a man. I became a pro there. I learned everything there: to eat properly, to take care of myself, to go to sleep on time. I had two wonderful years there," Mitrović added.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/found-agreement-no-time-player-reveals-fulham-move-took-shape-failed-move-another-club/

[WhiteJC]

Games for the Week-end 15/10
Back to the Cottage for a 3 o'clock kick off, this time we welcome Bournemouth

I'm sure that nearly every football fan is certain that VAR goes against their team week in week out, but sometimes you do have to wonder why it happens with seemingly obvious hand to ball, offside, blatant diving etc. you have to ask yourself if the decision was given "for you" would you be happy? I don't believe that they even out over the season, I do believe that these decisions can be the difference between survival and relegation.

Still no definitive news on Mitro's injury, let's hope that no news is good news? having Wilson back is really good news I can't wait to see the interplay between him, Pereira and Mitro, should be exciting stuff!

Our record against Bournemouth is slightly in Bournemouth's favour with only 1 win, 3 losses and 2 draws.

I'm assuming that Mitro, Robinson and Tete are fit, so my team would be...

COYW's

Games of Interest...
Friday 14th
Brentford v Brighton

Saturday 15th
Leicester v Palace
Fulham v Bournemouth
Wolves v Forest
Spurs v Everton

Sunday 16th
Villa v Chelsea
Leeds v Arsenal
Southampton v West Ham

come on over to the forum and join in the conversation...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=36.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=2384

[WhiteJC]

Will AFCB Make It Six Unbeaten At Fulham?

With Gary O'Neil with his first home win under his belt and in front of our prospective new owner Bill Foley, our next game is a visit to Craven Cottage the home of Fulham. They went up from the Championship last season with the Cherries finishing runners-up. Their manager when we visited last season was Marco Silva who had replaced Scott Parker after he departed from Fulham to join AFCB. Silva is still in charge at Fulham but this time there will be no Scott Parker in the Cherries camp. Gary O'Neil will be looking for a sixth game unbeaten since he took temporary charge.

During the Summer, Fulham signed no fewer than thirteen players. Nine are permanent signings, the other four are on loan. A good number of players have also left the club, the most notable Fabio Carvalho joined Liverpool for a £5 million-plus deal after his contract at Fulham ended.

Fulham have had a mixed start this season in the Premier League. In their nine games so far they have taken 7 points in four home games and 4 points in five away games. At home in their first game of the season, Fulham drew with Liverpool 2-2. In their next home game, they beat Brentford 3-2 and Brighton 2-1. In their last home game, Fulham had a player sent off in the eighth minute against Newcastle United and lost 1-4.

Away from home they have drawn 0-0 with Wolves, and lost against two London clubs, Arsenal and Spurs both by 2-1. Fulham's first away win was against Nottingham Forest, the game finishing with the same 2-3 score that AFCB did on their visit to the City ground. Their most recent game was at another London club West Ham, the game ended 3-1.

The last time we played at Fulham was last December in the Championship, the game will be remembered for that memorable move and probably one of the best kick-off routines ever done. It was just at the start of the second half, Philip Billing put a great ball over the top of the Fulham defenders and Dominic Solanke timed his run to perfection, scoring after around 6 seconds to put AFCB 0-1 up. Fulham equalised late on to make it 1-1.

AFCB's away record at Fulham, W 5, D 6, L 4.
In all competitions, AFCB have W 13, D 11, L 11.

Fulham Team News
Nathaniel Chalobah is suspended. Injury-wise, Layvin Kurzawa, Manor Solomon, Willian, Kenny Tete and Alexander Mitrovic all missed the West Ham game. Mitrovic was expected to be fit for their game at West Ham, so he could be back this Saturday.

Fulham Player To Watch
If fit, Aleksandar Mitrovic, already scored 6 goals in 8 starts. Last season he had an impressive 43 goals, plus 7 assists in 44 appearances.

AFCB Team News
On the injury front, Junior Stanislas and Lloyd Kelly will both be out, but hopefully, Ben Pearson and Joe Rothwell will be available for selection.

AFCB Player To Watch
Dominic Solanke, scored both our goals home and away last season at Fulham. Worked tirelessly for the team this season and was involved in the build-up to both goals against Leicester City, including the assist for Ryan Christie's goal. Solanke scored once this season, and is due another goal. Philip Billing has scored 3 goals in his last four games, a goal in each of the last two away games.

The Referee
Is Graham Scott. He was the referee for two of our home games last season, the FA Cup against Boreham Wood and in the Championship against Fulham, where he issued ten yellow cards of which seven were for Fulham.



https://bournemouth.vitalfootball.co.uk/will-afcb-make-it-six-unbeaten-at-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham eyeing £5m midfielder ahead of January, he's another Palhinha

Premier League newcomers Fulham are weighing up a move for £5 million-rated Sao Paulo midfielder Pablo Maia ahead of the January transfer window, according to ESPN.

Joao Palhinha, one of the summer's most inspired signings, has missed just one league game since joining the Cottagers from Sporting Lisbon. And is it any coincidence that, when he was unavailable through suspension, Marco Silva's side suffered their heaviest defeat of the campaign, going down 4-1 at home to Newcastle United?

Now, Nathaniel Chalobah's red card mere moments after kick-off certainly played a part. But it's hard to imagine Newcastle scything through Fulham with such ease – ten men or not – if Palhinha was throwing himself into tackles in front of his beleaguered back four.

Fulham do not have a natural replacement for Palhinha in their squad. And when you consider that the Portugal international has accumulated over 60 yellow cards in his senior career, this is unlikely to be the only time he misses via suspension during his time in West London.

Fulham like Sao Paulo midfielder Pablo Maia
So this is where Pablo Maia comes in.

The 20-year-old is a defensive midfielder in the Palhinha mould; an aggressive, all-action presence. One who loves nothing more than shrugging opposition players off the ball before starting quick counters with his pinpoint passing.

With ESPN reporting that Fulham are monitoring Maia, having also shown an interest in his Sao Paulo team-mate Luizao, one can only assume that an effort is being made to ease the burden on the already-talismanic Palhinha at Craven Cottage.

"Pablo plays as the (deep-lying) midfielder. He gives security to our defence," explains Sao Paulo chief Muricy Ramalho. "He has a good pass too. He's not just about marking (opposition forwards). 

"Nowadays, the midfielder has to play too, and he has a good pass. Of course, he does the simple things but he keeps the ball, which is what (head coach) Rogerio (Ceni) wants. He gives stability to Sao Paulo."

Maia was linked with a move to big-spending Nottingham Forest a couple of months ago. He is reportedly valued in the region of £5 million (Jorge Nicola).



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/10/13/fulham-eyeing-5m-midfielder-ahead-of-january-hes-another-palhinha/

[WhiteJC]

Limited Availability: Bournemouth

Tickets for Saturday's Premier League clash with Bournemouth are now limited in availability!

Marco Silva's side will be looking to bounce back as Fulham welcome the Cherries to Craven Cottage on Saturday 15th October, kick-off 3pm.

Supporters are reminded that the few remaining available seats include those within the upper tier of the Riverside Stand, priced at £80 for adults, and £50 for juniors.

Fans are advised not to delay in securing their seat, and can do so online at tickets.fulhamfc.com, by calling the Fulham FC Ticket Office on 0203 871 0810 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office (open Mon-Fri 9:30am-4:30pm) with prices starting from £30 for adults and £20 for juniors. More information on pricing can be found here.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/october/13/limited-availability-bournemouth/

[WhiteJC]

João: Home Games Are Special

João Palhinha sees Saturday's clash with AFC Bournemouth as a chance to move on quickly.

Fulham were beaten 3-1 by West Ham United on a controversial afternoon in East London last time out, but the Portugal international is now only concentrating on the Cherries next up on home turf.

"We're just thinking about the next one," Palhinha insisted. "We need to continue to improve.

"Of course, we don't feel very happy with the [West Ham] result because at the end of the match we felt like it was possible to win. We have value, we have quality to get a better result.

"We need to keep improving to assimilate the ideas of our coach. I think this game comes in a good moment for us.

"We are disappointed because of the result but we are looking now for the next game – a final. Every game is a final for us, so we want all the support in our home against Bournemouth. This is the most important thing right now.

"All the games at our home are special. I prefer to play in our home, in our stadium, Craven Cottage.

"We've started well. We need to keep the good work. I feel it would be better if we had more victories, of course, because we had some games where I feel that we could have got better results – against West Ham, Tottenham.

"Of course, all the games are very hard, but the value is here, the attitude is here. We have a good team, we want to do good things this season, and we need to improve week by week and give our maximum."

Palhinha could hardly have started life at Fulham better, with his dominant displays in midfield making him an instant fan favourite.

His 35 successful tackles is a league high, and the 27-year-old is hoping to still be near the top of the charts come May.

"It's my objective, it's one of my characteristics in my game," he said. "I want to do more. If I had a game where I saw I didn't do so many tackles I wouldn't feel very happy with myself.

"One of my objectives this season is to be in the top three, [but] if I'm the man with the most tackles in the Premier League I will be happy.

"It's part of my game where I know I'm strong, but I want to improve other things in my game, to continue my job.

"In the midfield I have good partners in my team who help me a lot. It's not just me, my teammates help me a lot.

"I try to help give the same help, so it's all about the collective game, to give all that we have."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/october/13/joao-palhinha-home-games-are-special/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham: Dean Jones would be "amazed" if Aleksandar Mitrovic wasn't fit this weekend

Aleksandar Mitrovic should be available for Fulham's Premier League clash this weekend.

That is according to journalist Dean Jones, who was speaking on the Chasing Green Arrows YouTube channel about potential Premier League team news for this weekend.

Mitrovic sustained a foot injury when on international duty with Serbia in a Nations League fixture with Sweden last month, but played the full match against Norway a few days later.

The 75-time Serbia international then had to be subbed off in the Cottagers' first game following the break against Newcastle United after just 37 minutes, before missing last weekend's London derby at West Ham United.

But Jones believes that Mitrovic will be back for the weekend's big clash at home to Bournemouth after having last weekend off.

He said: "I'll be amazed if the injury is so bad that he can't be better by the following weekend – especially for the Bournemouth game.

"If there was any doubt, like I said the other day, then Fulham would have been happy for him not to play West Ham so that he was okay for the two games that will follow after that, because they're two such winnable games."

TIF Thoughts on Jones' comments about Aleksandar Mitrovic...
We think that Fulham fans will be absolutely delighted if Mitrovic was to return to first-team action at Craven Cottage this weekend, with the 28-year-old's presence greatly improving their chances of success.

The former Newcastle man has scored six goals in eight Premier League appearances, suggesting that he is capable of winning games on his own for Marco Silva's side.

We agree with Jones and believe that Mitrovic may well have been rested ahead of a very winnable clash at home with the Cherries this weekend, especially if he was at risk of further damage after being taken off early against his former club a fortnight ago.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2022/10/blogs/premier-league/fulham/fulham-dean-jones-aleksandar-mitrovic-fit-afc-bournemouth-marco-silva-premier-league-injury-team-news/

[WhiteJC]

Preview: Fulham vs. Bournemouth - prediction, team news, lineups

Last season's top two in the Championship will face off in the Premier League on Saturday as Fulham play host to Bournemouth at Craven Cottage.

Both sides have made respectable starts to life back in the top flight and they currently sit inside the top half of the table, with the Cherries in eighth and the Cottagers just one point behind in ninth.

Match preview
Marco Silva's Fulham side have suffered a dip in form over the last few weeks, with a heavy 4-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United followed by a 3-1 loss away at West Ham United last weekend.

In the absence of injured star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, Andreas Pereira fired Fulham into an early lead at the London Stadium, but the Hammers turned the game on its head with a Jarrod Bowen penalty followed by strikes from Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio, condemning the Cottagers to their fourth defeat in their last six league games.

Silva will be keen to see improvements made in defence as they have kept only one clean sheet in nine league games so far this season, drawing 0-0 with goal-shy Wolverhampton Wanderers in August. Only Saturday's opponents Bournemouth (20) and the bottom two sides Nottingham Forest (22) and Leicester City (24) have conceded more goals than Fulham (18) so far this season.

Fulham now face four favourable-looking fixtures, on paper, with a home clash against the Cherries followed by encounters against Aston Villa, Leeds United and Everton, so they will be hopeful of turning their fortunes around in the coming weeks.

However, the West Londoners have struggled in recent years against Bournemouth as they have won only one of their last 10 league meetings against them, a 1-0 away victory in April 2019.

Since the departure of head coach Scott Parker following their humbling 9-0 defeat at Liverpool, Bournemouth have put together a five-game unbeaten run under interim boss Gary O'Neil and they claimed their third win of the season at home against Leicester City last weekend.

After Patson Daka fired the visitors into an early lead, the Cherries came from behind to claim maximum points in their 100th Premier League home game courtesy of two strikes within the space of three second-half minutes from Philip Billing and Ryan Christie.

Bournemouth have now climbed up to eighth in the Premier League standings, six points clear of the relegation zone and just four behind the Champions League places, albeit at such an early stage of the campaign.

With back-to-back fixtures against Fulham and Southampton up next, O'Neil's buoyant bunch will fancy their chances of continuing their fine run of form as they bid to alleviate fears of a potential relegation scrap this season.

The away side have won each of the last five Premier League meetings between Bournemouth and Fulham, which bodes well for the Cherries this weekend, but they head to Craven Cottage after losing seven of their last eight top-flight games in London.

Fulham Premier League form:

    L    W    L    W    L    L

Bournemouth Premier League form:

    L    D    W    D    D    W


Team News
Fulham are sweating over the fitness of Aleksandar Mitrovic who was forced off in the defeat against Newcastle with a foot injury, while right-back Kenny Tete is also doubtful with an unspecified problem and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

The hosts will be without Nathaniel Chalobah due to suspension, while Manor Solomon (knee), Willian and Layvin Kurzawa (both calf) remain sidelined with injuries.

Bobby Decordova-Reid played at right-back in the loss at West Ham and the Jamaican forward may keep his place in the back four ahead of Kevin Mbabu, while Carlos Vinicius is set to lead the line if Mitrovic fails to be passed fit.

As for Bournemouth, Lloyd Kelly (ankle), David Brooks (thigh) and Junior Stanislas (muscle) are all ruled out with injuries, while Ben Pearson and Joe Rothwell are doubtful with respective knee and thigh issues.

Adam Smith captained the side at left-back last week, but he could switch back to his favoured right-back position on Saturday, with Ryan Fredericks potentially dropping out of the side for Jordan Zemura.

Solanke, who scored in both of Bournemouth's 1-1 draws against Fulham in the Championship last season, is set to start again up front and will be looking to score his 50th goal in English league football this weekend.

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Decordova-Reid, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Palhinha, Reed; James, Pereira, Kebano; Vinicius

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Neto; Smith, Mepham, Senesi, Zemura; Christie, Cook, Lerma, Tavernier; Billing; Solanke

We say: Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth

The momentum is with Bournemouth ahead of Saturday's clash and they have a good record against Fulham, who will be fired up to bounce back from successive defeats.

The host's success may depend on whether Mitrovic is fit to lead the line, but we can see the Cherries continuing their unbeaten run and claiming a point from an entertaining contest at Craven Cottage.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/preview/preview-fulham-vs-bournemouth-prediction-team-news-lineups_496867.html?cQx=NN&newsnow

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Teenager allegedly wanted by Spurs nets hat-trick against PL defender

Fulham starlet Ollie O'Neil, who is rumoured to be on Tottenham's radar, netted a hat-trick against Leicester City Under-21s on Monday.

Several top young talents have thought the Fulham academy over recent years, including Spurs' very own Ryan Sessegnon and Djed Spence.

The latest talent to catch the eye at Craven Cottage is O'Neill, whose performances for the club's youth sides over the last couple of years have turned plenty of heads.

The Athletic reported during the summer transfer window that Tottenham and West Ham United were both eyeing a deal for the winger but the 19-year-old ended up signing a three-year contract extension at Fulham back in July.

O'Neil has made a fantastic start to the Premier League 2 season, having eight goal contributions to his name in as many appearances so far this season (Transfermarkt).

The teenager was the start of the show for Fulham's Under-21s on Monday, with his hattrick helping the Cottagers to a 7-0 win over Leicester City.

It was not a weak Leicester Under-21 defence that O'Neil came up against either, with Jannik Vestergaard starting for the Foxes.

Spurs Web Opinion
If O'Neil was indeed already on Tottenham's radar, this performance would have only further convinced the North London club that the winger is the real deal.

However, now that he has signed a new deal with Fulham, Marco Silva's side are unlikely to let the 19-year-old leave as they would view him as a future first-team prospect.



https://www.spurs-web.com/spurs-news/teenager-allegedly-wanted-by-spurs-nets-hat-trick-against-pl-defender/

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Palhinha: We must bounce back against Bournemouth
Joao Palhinha sees Saturday's meeting with Bournemouth as a chance for Fulham to bounce back from the disappointment of back-to-back defeats.

The Portuguese international was suspended for the 4-1 defeat by Newcastle – where the Whites were always up against it once his replacement Nathaniel Chalobah was sent off after eight minutes – and then frustrated after Marco Silva's side were beaten at West Ham last Sunday, where refereeing controversies proved to be the major talking point. Palhinha, clearly Fulham's signing of the summer, told the club's official website that the tussle with the Cherries offers an opportunity to turn the page.

"We're just thinking about the next one. We need to continue to improve. Of course, we don't feel very happy with the result because at the end of the match we felt like it was possible to win. We have value, we have quality to get a better result. We need to keep improving to assimilate the ideas of our coach. I think this game comes in a good moment for us.

"We are disappointed because of the result but we are looking now for the next game – a final. Every game is a final for us, so we want all the support in our home against Bournemouth. This is the most important thing right now. All the games at our home are special. I prefer to play in our home, in our stadium, Craven Cottage.

"We've started well. We need to keep the good work. I feel it would be better if we had more victories, of course, because we had some games where I feel that we could have got better results – against West Ham, Tottenham."

The former Sporting Lisbon midfielder also revealed that he relishes the heat of the battle in the engine room – admitting that he has set a target to be one of the most successful tacklers in the top flight.

It's my objective, it's one of my characteristics in my game. I want to do more. If I had a game where I saw I didn't do so many tackles I wouldn't feel very happy with myself. One of my objectives this season is to be in the top three; if I'm the man with the most tackles in the Premier League I will be happy.

"It's part of my game where I know I'm strong, but I want to improve other things in my game, to continue my job. In the midfield I have good partners in my team who help me a lot. It's not just me, my teammates help me a lot. I try to help give the same help, so it's all about the collective game, to give all that we have."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/10/palhinha-we-must-bounce-back-against-bournemouth/