Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 26/02/20...

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Preview | Fulham v Swansea City

Two sides looking to boost their respective promotion aspirations face off tonight as Swansea City take on Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The Swans got back to winning ways against Huddersfield at the weekend, and kept themselves five points off the play-off places with a dozen games of the season remaining.

Fulham currently occupy one of those play-off spots, but Scott Parker's Cottagers also have their eyes trained upwards as they look to overhaul Leeds and West Brom in the battle for one of the automatic promotion spots.

It means there is plenty at stake in south-west London this evening, and the victor will feel they have claimed an important result in their respective causes.

The reverse fixture at the Liberty was a hard-fought and entertaining encounter, and there is no reason to expect anything different under the lights at Fulham's famous old home.

Team news

Swansea City have no new injury concerns heading into Wednesday's clash at Craven Cottage.

Wayne Routledge and Mike van der Hoorn are sidelined by knee injuries, while Nathan Dyer also looks unlikely to be involved.

George Byers is out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

Pre-match views

Steve Cooper: "It's about trying to get that consistency and momentum, and there's no better time to try and do that than after a win.

"We got that at the weekend, so we need to build on that.

"It's all to play for isn't it? We say it every week, anything can happen, particularly in a three-game week where things can all look so different come the end of play on Saturday.

"So, you have to tighten the focus, and give yourself the best opportunity to be ready for the game in front of you."

Remember the last time?

Jonjo Shelvey came off the bench to score the winner as the Swans moved up to 10th in the Premier League table thanks to a 2-1 win over Fulham on their last visit to Craven Cottage in November 2013.

In a game which really came to life in the second half, an own goal from Aaron Hughes edged the Swans ahead in the 56th minute only for Scott Parker to level eight minutes later.

But Shelvey, on for Nathan Dyer just before the hour mark, claimed all three points for the Swans with a fantastic curling effort that nestled in the top corner with 10 minutes to go.

This was a third league win on their travels for the Swans and a first victory in five games in all competitions.

It also continued their fine form at the London venue, with this a third consecutive victory at Craven Cottage.

Prime numbers

3 – Swansea City have a record of played three, won three from their last trio of visits to Craven Cottage.

4 – Swansea City have won four league games in London since the start of last season, only Bristol City (five) have managed more in that time in the Championship.




https://www.swanseacity.com/news/preview-fulham-v-swansea-city

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Fan Survey 2020 – LIVE

Last year the Fulham Supporters' Trust conducted our first annual fan survey, seeking your views on the off the pitch issues at the forefront of Fulham fans' minds. The survey was a huge success, with almost 2,300 supporters taking part, and helped us to shape our ongoing conversations with the Club and other organisations.

Today we are launching the Fulham Supporters' Trust Fan Survey 2020.

We would be delighted if all our members could take just 10 minutes to complete the survey by clicking the link. Please also spread the word to as many of your fellow Fulham supporters as possible.

The survey will be open from 9am on Wednesday 26th February until 9am on Wednesday 4th March.

We will be distributing leaflets before the match against Preston on Saturday to advertise to those who don't tend to particpate in social media channels. If you can spare some time to help with this task we'd be extremely grateful. Please find us outside the Hammersmith End turnstiles from 1:30pm on Saturday.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2020/02/fan-survey-2020-live/

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All the latest Fulham injury news ahead of Swansea clash

Fulham host Swansea City in the Championship tonight.

Scott Parker's side now sit five points behind Leeds United in 2nd, after closing what was an 11-point gap to the top two at Christmas.

Their worst display of the year in the 3-0 defeat at home to Barnsley was followed by a subdued 1-1 draw with Derby County last time out, Aleksandar Mitrovic again dragging his side through a tough outing.

Tonight though they face a Swansea side who've been inconsistent throughout, and they'll do so without three first-team players.

Terrence Kongolo played just ten-minutes of Championship football for Fulham before being sidelined for the remainder of the season with a foot injury, and he'll likely return to Huddersfield before the season's out.

Fulham also have another defensive absentee in Maxime Le Marchand – the Frenchman has been Fulham's long-term casualty this season, having now missed over four months of football with a back injury.

He's nearing a return to action but likely won't feature until next month, but Harrison Reed could well make his return before then.

The Southampton-loanee has been sidelined with a calf injury. He's been an important player for Fulham when he's fit but hasn't featured now since New Year's Day, though he's expected to be nearer a return to action than Le Marchand.

Steve Cooper's Swansea are no pushovers, and they have plenty enough quality to claim what'd be a shock win at Craven Cottage tonight. Anything but a win tonight would mount the pressure on Parker even more.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/all-the-latest-fulham-injury-news-ahead-of-swansea-clash/

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Steve Cooper | We must thrive on these occasions

Steve Cooper says Swansea City must thrive on occasions like tonight's Championship clash at Fulham if they are to propel themselves back into the top six.

The Swans travel to third-placed Fulham while sitting just five points outside the Championship play-off places with 12 games remaining.

Cooper's side are looking to build on Saturday's much-needed victory over Huddersfield – their first win in six games.

This will be Swansea's second game in another three-match week before they head to Blackburn this weekend.

And the head coach has challenged his players to adopt a positive attitude – starting against the Cottagers, who are looking to close the gap on West Brom and Leeds in the automatic promotion places.

"We're at that stage of the season where all the games are important; it doesn't matter who you're playing," he said.

"We've got to go and attack these games. We've got two away games on Wednesday and Saturday - both tough for different reasons.

"If we want to be successful and we want to achieve, these are the sort of games we've got to thrive on.

"That will certainly be our mindset. We're going to go for it, that's for sure."




https://www.swanseacity.com/news/steve-cooper-we-must-thrive-these-occasions

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Talking Tactics | Fulham v Swansea City

Football stats experts WhoScored identify winger Jordon Garrick as a key man in Swansea City's Championship clash with Fulham at Craven Cottage.


Securing all three points at Fulham tonight will take a monumental effort from Swansea City.

The Cottagers are currently third in the Championship, just five points off the automatic promotion places, though a run of just two wins in their last six has seen them drop off the pace of late.

A three-match winless run has seen them lose ground in their push to finish in the top two and has allowed Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Preston to move to within one point of the west London side.

Swansea are among those looking to close the gap between themselves and the top six and a 3-1 win over Huddersfield on Saturday was the morale boost required as we enter the business end of the campaign.

Victory ended a five-match winless run and it's of the utmost importance they follow up the win over Huddersfield with another three points tonight at Craven Cottage. History is on Swansea's side having won their last three visits to Fulham while Steve Cooper's side have come away with all the spoils on three of their four league trips to London this season.

It took until the final 10 minutes for Swansea to make home advantage count when they welcomed Huddersfield to the Liberty Stadium last weekend, but late goals from Andre Ayew and Jordon Garrick ensured the Terriers left South Wales empty handed.

The latter's strike marked his second league goal in as many appearances for Cooper's side and while the 21-year-old's six outings have all come from the bench, totalling 97 minutes of league action this season, the super sub is living up to his billing at present.

Indeed, no Championship player has come off the bench to score more goals than Garrick (two) in 2020 and Cooper and Swansea will be hoping he can continue this trait in the capital.
Hull Jordon Garrick

Fulham have been far from solid defensively on home turf in recent weeks having kept just two clean sheets in their last seven and conceded three times at home to lowly Barnsley earlier this month, a Tykes outfit that had scored just 12 away league goals this term prior to their headline-grabbing 3-0 win.

If Swansea can replicate that performance tonight, then their sub-par away run of form will draw to a close at Fulham, with Cooper able to throw players into the mix at just the right time to turn a game in Swansea's favour.

Only West Brom (13) and Cardiff (12) have had subs score more goals than Swansea (nine) in the Championship this season, with Garrick among those shining from the bench in England's second tier this term.
Huddersfield Jordon Garrick

And with Fulham developing a statistically-calculated WhoScored.com weakness of 'Stopping opponents from creating chances', if Swansea can play right until the death, their chances of netting a late goal rises significantly, which would benefit the fresh legs of Garrick.

Nine of the 37 goals Fulham have conceded this season have come from the 75th minute onwards, so teams that face the Cottagers should be confident of netting as the minutes tick towards the 90, which should prove a boost for those introduced later on in games.

Garrick, then, should be eyeing up a third league goal in as many appearances tonight with Swansea's star impact player overcoming his hamstring issues to great effect.



https://www.swanseacity.com/news/talking-tactics-fulham-v-swansea-city

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Opposition in focus – Swansea City

Another game under the lights and a much anticipated double header at Craven Cottage kicks off on Wednesday evening when we host South Wales outfit Swansea City.

In the return fixture we managed to hold on to a 2-1 lead on what was an entertaining encounter back on a cold Friday evening in late November, and this game represents a massive chance to get back to winning ways following a frustrating three match winless streak. After making a very fast start to the season, Swansea seemed to have tailed off in the new year, however three wins in a row have put them firmly in the play-off race. Steve Cooper is one of the country's most progressive and promising coaches, although he will be alarmed that one of the division's most miserly defences has managed just a single clean sheet in their last seven league games – against QPR. which came at an out of form QPR side.

The man to watch for the Swans is definitely striker Andre Ayew, scoring 13 times this campaign, including one against us back at the Liberty Stadium. He's formed a potent partnership with Sam Surridge, impressive on loan from AFC Bournemouth, scoring seven times in all competitions. The Swans have plenty of creative quality in midfield and will fancy their chances of exploiting any frailties in the Fulham defence.

Veterans Mike Van Der Hoorn and Wayne Routledge will both be missing tonight, but Aldo Kalulu is available despite being forced off in his last fixture against Huddersfield, while winger Nathan Dyer faces a late fitness test to be ready in time. Scott Parker has no new injury issues for this game. The game will fall just too soon for the return of Harrison Reed while Alfie Mawson, Maxime Le Marchand and Terence Kongolo are all still sidelined for the Cottagers.

A victory is crucial for Fulham as we continue to try and mount the pressure on the top two – but Swansea will prove a tough test.

My Preferred Fulham XI: Rodak, Christie, Odoi, Hector, Bryan, McDonald, Cairney (c), Bobby Decordova-Reid, Cavaleiro, Mitrovic, Knockaert

My score prediction: Fulham 2-0 Swansea City



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/02/opposition-in-focus-swansea-city/

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Programme Peek

Ivan Cavaleiro says the best is still to come from him this season.

The winger has chipped in with six goals and six assists to date this term, but it's not a tally he's happy with.

"I'm not that pleased really," he tells Wednesday night's official matchday programme for the visit of Swansea City. "I know I could and should score more. But we have 12 games left this season so hopefully I can add some more goals. I can definitely do better.

"Last time I was in the Championship with Wolves I scored nine times and had 12 assists. When I signed for Fulham in the summer, I wanted to score more than I got last time in this league. There's still time but I feel I should have found the back of the net more often.

"So, I'm not very happy. Things could be better, but it is what it is. I have to be focused on what's coming and try and improve."

If he isn't finding the net, Cavaleiro knows that running, tackling and fighting for every ball will get the fans on board.

"What I've learned since becoming a football player is you never surrender," he says. "You have to fight until the end. That's the way I play football."

To read the full interview with Cavaleiro, pick up a copy of the award-winning publication on Wednesday. Other highlights include a tribute to Jimmy Conway, interviews with Scott Parker, Tom Cairney, Michael Hector, Lee Clark, Brede Hangeland, Les Strong and Gordon Davies, plus the usual array of top-drawer features.

Priced £3.50, the 100-page publication is available from various sellers on Stevenage Road from two hours before kick-off.

For just £1.99, the programme is also available as a digital download on your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PC or Mac via Pocketmags from 12pm on the day of the game.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/february/26/programme-peek

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Parker: Performance Needed

Scott Parker wants to put on a show for the Fulham faithful this week after the previous disappointment on home soil.

Last time out at Craven Cottage we were humbled 3-0 by Barnsley, something which the Whites Head Coach is desperate to rectify against Preston North End and, firstly, Swansea City.

"They're big games for us, massive games for us," Parker told FFCtv. "And right now there's no bigger than Swansea at home, and then Preston.

"After last week at home and the result we got and the way we performed, we need to put in a performance. First and foremost, try and get a result, but let's put a performance in.

"Wednesday night needs to be solely about us and what we do. We need to really put our mark on the game, and try and go in there with a real intensity about us, get the fans right behind us and get them shouting.

"Ultimately that's our jobs, that's the players' jobs. Let's get the crowd behind us and let them help as much as possible. I said after the Derby game how important the fans will be.

"They're going to be vitally important for us. It's clichéd and loads of people sitting in my position say it about the 12th man, but it's the truth.

"There's no better place than the Cottage when people are shouting and the clappers are going and there's a real intensity about it. It helps and it gets people going, so it's down to us to make sure that the fans come and they're singing in their full voice."

Parker also confirmed that Josh Onomah had surgery last week following a knee injury picked up against Barnsley, and is likely to be sidelined for at least six weeks.
Tickets for our meeting with Swansea are still available for fans to purchase.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/february/26/scott-parker-performance-needed

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The main talking points from Parker's Fulham press conference ahead of Swansea clash

Fulham host Swansea City in the Championship tonight.

Scott Parker's side are now winless in three league games and go into tonight's game at Craven Cottage in 4th-place of the Championship table, after Nottingham Forest's 1-0 win at Cardiff City last night.

Fulham had hit some of their best form under Parker through the festive period and into New Year, and did tremendously well to close an impossible 11-point gap to Leeds.

They had the chance to keep the heat on the top two when they hosted Barnsley earlier in the month, but a 3-0 defeat to the bottom-club has heaped a whole load of built-up pressure on Parker.

A 1-1 draw at Derby County followed, a point picked up after going a goal behind, and against a side who are formidable at home. Speaking to www.fulhamfc.com about his side's recent form, Parker said:

"We went into the match after a very poor result against Barnsley, which to concede three goals at home was disappointing. I don't think we covered ourselves in much glory in that sense.

"Probably over the last weeks, it's probably gone away from the way I really want us to play and control games because ultimately, I want us to also win games."

Derby had taken the lead soon after the restart when Tim Ream handled the ball inside the penalty box, and Wayne Rooney stepped up on his 500th league appearance in England, and scored a panenka penalty past Marek Rodak.

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored the equaliser, and dragged Fulham through yet another tough outing.

"We got a reaction," explained Parker. "We limited Derby to very few chances but the flip-side of that is, and probably the one thing we needed to improve against Derby was the speed of the ball at times.

"Certainly first-half I felt that as much control as we had we didn't cause them many problems and probably the team I saw when we went a goal down was the team I like us to be."

Fulham are still in with a very real chance of promotion this season. West Brom and Leeds look like they could yet run away with it but Fulham have closed the gap once already, and they'll need to be at their very best to do it again.

"Every game now from the run-in, 12 games, 18 hours of football. It's big for us and no bigger than Swansea at home," said Parker. "Then we've got Preston so after last week at home and the result we got, and the way we performed, we need a performance tonight. first and foremost we'll try and get a result."

Swansea, like Fulham, are a side that have experienced both a new, young English manager this season and subsequently mixed results. They started the season better than anyone but have since been inconsistent. They remain in contention for a play-off spot though, and Parker knows how tough tonight's fixture will be:

"Good side," Parker said of Swansea. "Started the season very well, and on their day can cause a lot of teams a lot of problems, so we'll respect that as always. I think tomorrow night solely needs to be about us and what we do and really put our mark on the game."

Anything but a loss tonight would heap even more pressure on Parker. He's done well so far but results are starting to fade at just the wrong time, and a return to winning way tonight would instil a lot more confidence in the players and fans alike.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-main-talking-points-from-parkers-fulham-press-conference-ahead-of-swansea-clash/

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Josh Onomah: Fulham midfielder out for six weeks after knee surgery

Josh Onomah (right) moved to Fulham last summer as part of Ryan Sessegnon's transfer to Tottenham

Fulham midfielder Josh Onomah will be out for at least six weeks after having surgery on a knee injury.

The ex-Tottenham player, 22, picked up the problem in Fulham's Championship defeat by Barnsley on 15 February.

Former England Under-21 international Onomah has scored one goal in 26 games for the fourth-placed Cottagers this season.

"He gives us a different dynamic in the sense of what our other midfielders have got," said manager Scott Parker.

"It looks like he'll probably be out for at least six weeks so that's a big disappointment."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51647236

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Tom Cairney reveals ambitions ahead of crucial Fulham run-in

Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney has revealed that he has his sights set firmly on Fulham gaining automatic promotion come the end of the season.

The Cottagers are fourth in the table and are five points off of second-placed Leeds United heading into the final 12 games of the season.

Fulham last earned promotion in 2018 when they faced Aston Villa at Wembley in the play-off final with a sole strike from Cairney being enough to win the tie.

The goal from the Fulham skipper sent the club back to the top flight for the first time in four years however they only remained in the Premier League for one season.

Speaking to the Sky Sports EFL podcast, Cairney said: "It's strange, as weird as that sounds.

"It was the best day of my career and I think the day will never be beaten, as a whole.

"But you're trying your best to not get into that situation again. To be honest, I don't want to go back there and have a chance of ruining the memories! Hopefully we can try and catch the top two."

Scott Parker's side have a tough run of fixtures coming up as they host Swansea City tonight before facing Preston at Craven Cottage on Saturday. They then travel to Bristol City and Leeds with a home clash against Brentford in between.

There are only four points between the Cottagers and seventh-placed Bristol City as they try to hang onto their spot in the top six.

The Verdict

Cairney has a winning mentality just like his manager and the rest of the Fulham squad.

They will fancy themselves heading into the run-in as they face the teams in and around them as the Cottagers look to break into the top two before the end of the season.

There is still a lot of points to play for with Fulham certainly being a team to watch between now and the end of the season.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/tom-cairney-reveals-ambitions-ahead-of-crucial-fulham-run-in/

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Anthony Knockaert sends clear message ahead of Fulham's clash with Swansea City

Fulham winger Anthony Knockaert has sent a rallying cry to his team-mates as they aim to get their promotion bid back on track when they welcome Swansea to Craven Cottage this evening

Scott Parker's side have suffered a string of setbacks in their automatic-promotion bid in recent matches following a 3-0 defeat to Barnsley and a 1-1 draw with Derby, but they now have an immediate chance to return to winning ways against the Swans.

Fulham could leapfrog Nottingham Forest to move back into third place with a victory over Steve Cooper's side, while three points would also ensure they keep the pace with Leeds and West Brom who are currently occupying the Championship's top two spots.

Knockaert has returned to the starting line-up in recent matches after missing four matches through a combination of injury and illness, and the 28-year-old will be aiming to add to his four goals and four assists this season when he comes up against Swansea.

The Brighton loanee has taken to Instagram to share an impassioned message ahead of his side's midweek clash, with Knockaert urging his side to launch a big push during the 12 games remaining in their promotion bid this campaign.

The Verdict

Tonight's clash holds great importance for both sides in their promotion bids this season, with Fulham needing three points to get their top-two bid back on track, while a victory for Swansea would see them propel themselves into play-off contention.

It will be interesting to see whether Parker opts to start with Knockaert at Craven Cottage in tonight's encounter, particularly given the on-loan winger was withdrawn after 66 minutes during the Cottagers' clash with Derby on Friday evening.

There can be no denying that Knockaert has lacked consistency in his game for the west London outfit this season, but he is clearly a talented player who is capable of producing moments of magic for his side at times.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/anthony-knockaert-sends-clear-message-ahead-of-fulhams-clash-with-swansea-city/

[WhiteJC]

Scott Parker highlights importance of Fulham fans ahead of Swansea City tie

Speaking to the club's official website, Fulham boss Scott Parker has highlighted the importance of the club's supporters, as they look to return to winning ways at Craven Cottage when they face Swansea City tonight.

Fulham host Swansea City at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night and after a disappointing last showing in front of the home fans, the Cottagers will be determined to put in a strong performance and take all three points from the Swans.

Fulham are without a win in three and last time at Craven Cottage, they suffered a surprise 3-0 defeat to Barnsley. They drew against Derby County last Friday and now, they will be hoping to win tonight to return them to 3rd place in the Championship table.

And, ahead of the game, manager Scott Parker has highlighted the importance of the game against Swansea and then their game at the weekend vs Preston North End. Speaking to the club's official website ahead of tonight's game, Parker said the fans will have a big role in tonight's game under the floodlights, saying:

"They're big games for us, massive games for us. And right now there's no bigger than Swansea at home, and then Preston. After last week at home and the result we got and the way we performed, we need to put in a performance. First and foremost, try and get a result, but let's put a performance in.

"Wednesday night needs to be solely about us and what we do. We need to really put our mark on the game, and try and go in there with a real intensity about us, get the fans right behind us and get them shouting.

"Ultimately that's our jobs, that's the players' jobs. Let's get the crowd behind us and let them help as much as possible. I said after the Derby game how important the fans will be. They're going to be vitally important for us. It's clichéd and loads of people sitting in my position say it about the 12th man, but it's the truth.

"There's no better place than the Cottage when people are shouting and the clappers are going and there's a real intensity about it. It helps and it gets people going, so it's down to us to make sure that the fans come and they're singing in their full voice."



https://the72.co.uk/157830/scott-parker-highlights-importance-of-fulham-fans-ahead-of-swansea-city-tie/

[WhiteJC]

'We're done', 'Can never build up momentum' – These Fulham fans are not happy about 22-y/o's injury blow

Fulham boss Scott Parker has confirmed that midfielder Josh Onomah has been ruled out for around six weeks after undergoing surgery on his knee injury.

Onomah missed Fulham's 1-1 draw with Derby on Friday night due to the problem he suffered against Barnsley, and the Fulham head coach has now revealed to the club website that the 22-year-old will miss six weeks of action after surgery on Saturday.

The midfielder had established himself as a regular starter in the side after finding his feet at Craven Cottage following his permanent switch from Tottenham over the summer, but Parker will now need to identify a midfield replacement for him.

Onomah has made a total of 26 senior appearances for the Cottagers this term, but the club has now taken to Twitter to share the news that he will now miss a considerable chunk of the remainder of the season.

Plenty of Fulham supporters responded by expressing their sadness at this latest development, while others suggested the squad's continuing injury problems could go on to hold them back in their promotion bid this season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/can-never-build-up-momentum-these-fulham-fans-are-not-happy-about-22-y-os-fresh-injury-blow/

[WhiteJC]

"It was nice to hear such words" – Fulham player pleased with Rooney praise, discusses Panenka penalty

Scoring his 500th career goal at the weekend for Derby, Wayne Rooney did so by delightfully chipping a penalty straight down the middle past young Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodák.

The 23-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Rotherham, replaced Marcus Bettinelli in October between the sticks, and, red card suspension for the Hull City game in November aside, has become the number one at Craven Cottage.

The game against Derby ended 1-1, with Rodák unable to save Rooney's spot kick despite studying intensively the former Manchester United forward ahead of the fixture.

Speaking to Nové Čas in Slovakia, he said: "He buried about ten penalties, mostly to the right. I went there. He finally decided on the Panenka. After the match, he admitted that it was the first time time he'd done that in his career. I guess he wanted to try something new".

Despite being unable to save Rooney's penalty, Rodák still made a number of saves throughout the game that allowed Fulham to walk away with a point, and the former England international took time to congratulate the goalkeeper after the game.

The goalkeeper continued: "After the match, we had a joint interview for Sky. He praised me for several good interventions. It was nice to hear such words from the big English football icon. I could have swapped jerseys with him, but since I don't collect them, it didn't come to that".

Since taking over from Bettinelli under Scott Parker, Rodák has made 21 Championship appearances for Fulham, conceding 22 goals and keeping eight clean sheets.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/nice-hear-words-fulham-player-pleased-rooney-praise-discusses-panenka-penalty/

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Galatasaray plot summer move for £18m Fulham FC loanee Jean Michael Seri

Galatasaray are looking into the possibility of signing Jean Michael Seri on a permanent deal from Fulham.

The midfield-playmaker joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan after falling out of favour at the London based club.

Despite enduring a difficult start to his loan move at Galatasaray, Seri has gone onto establish himself as a key player for the Lions.

Jean Michael Seri put in a man of the match performance during Sunday's intercontinental derby win against Fenerbahce.

According to the Turkish outlet Fotospor, Galatasaray boss Fatih Terim has instructed the club to do all they can to sign Seri in the summer.

Galatasaray does have an €18 million option-to-buy clause included in the loan deal with Fulham.

However, Galatasaray are unlikely to be able to match the clause due to UEFA Financial Fair Play restrictions.

Fotospor goes onto state that Galatasaray officials will meet with Fulham to work out a way to extend Seri's stay at the club.

Jean Michael Seri has two assists and a goal to his name after 16 Turkish Super Lig appearances for Galatasaray so far this season.



https://turkish-football.com/galatasaray-plot-summer-move-for-18m-fulham-fc-loanee-jean-michael-seri/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham provide key injury update on midfielder

On the eve of their upcoming Championship clash against Swansea City at Craven Cottage, Fulham have confirmed that Josh Onomah will be out for a minimum of six weeks after undergoing knee surgery.

The 22-year-old suffered the problem during Fulham's recent clash with Barnsley on February 15th, and subsequently was not involved in the 1-1 draw with Derby last time out.

Scott Parker confirmed the news in an interview with the club website on Wednesday.

"Josh [Onomah] had surgery on Saturday on a knee injury he sustained against Barnsley. It looks like he'll probably be out for at least six weeks, so that's a big disappointment," the Fulham boss said.

It means the midfielder could return in time for Fulham's home game with Cardiff City on April 14th, their penultimate match at Craven Cottage this term.

Onomah has recently shown signs of his quality in a Fulham shirt, and has been a regular feature of the starting XI under Parker for the last three months.

It is the second serious injury that the club have had to deal with in recent times. Onomah's knee issue follows Terence Kongolo's season-ending foot injury that was sustained against Blackburn Rovers.

Onomah has made a total of 26 appearances for the Cottagers this season in all competitions.

The Verdict

This is a blow to Fulham, and with Harrison Reed also currently out, it limits Scott Parker's options in the centre of the pitch.

Rehabilitation is known to be tough when coming back from a knee injury, so it is possible that Onomah could be out for longer than six weeks.

Stefan Johansen, Harry Arter, Tom Cairney and Kevin McDonald will now all be fighting for starting spots.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-provide-key-injury-update-on-midfielder/