Friday Fulham Stuff - 13/03/20...

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Fulham v Brentford
FRI 13 Mar 2020  Championship
Venue: Craven Cottage

Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (left) is the Championship's leading scorer this season with 23 goals, with Brentford frontman Ollie Watkins (right) one behind him in the scoring charts

Fulham will be without defenders Joe Bryan (hamstring), Terence Kongolo (foot) and Alfie Mawson (knee) for the west London derby against Brentford.

Maxime Le Marchand and Harrison Reed are back in training after injury, but midfielder Josh Onomah (knee) is out.

Bees captain and centre-back Pontus Jansson is close to returning after missing two months with a hip injury.

Midfielders Mathias Jensen (hamstring) and Kamo Mokotjo (knee) remain out, but Sergi Canos (knee) is back in training.

Fulham go into the game third in the Championship table, six points off the automatic promotion places, with Scott Parker's side on a four-match unbeaten run.

Visitors Brentford are one place and four points behind the Whites, having won just one of their past six games.

Match facts

    Fulham have won just one of their past 18 home games against Brentford in all competitions (D10 L7), a 1-0 victory back in April 1990.
    Brentford are looking to complete a league double over Fulham for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
    Fulham have registered 506 sequences of 10+ passes in open play this season, 153 more than the next highest side which is Brentford (353).
    Brentford have won just two of their past 10 away games in the Championship (D4 L4).
    Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is the Championship's leading scorer this season (23 goals), has won more points with his goals than any other player in the competition in 2019-20 (23 pts won).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51763621

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Frank: Bees cannot switch off against Mitrovic

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has warned his defence cannot afford even a fleeting lapse against Fulham frontman Aleksandar Mitrovic in Friday's west London derby.

Mitrovic is the Championship's leading scorer, with 23 goals to his name – just one ahead of the Bees' Ollie Watkins – as the two promotion contenders prepare to face off at Craven Cottage.

Frank said: "Mitrovic doesn't need a lot of chances. He is maybe out of the game for 75 minutes, then he will score the crucial goal.

"So it's about defending for our lives and unbelievable concentration – and never for one second think we are on top, because he just needs a split second to score.

"It's nice that we (Brentford and Fulham) have the two best strikers in the division – not only because of the goals they've scored, but also if you look at their abilities and qualities.

"It's a nice little extra battle and I'm looking forward to seeing that. I hope my centre-backs can control Mitrovic and I hope Ollie will terrify the Fulham centre-backs."

Watkins delivering for Brentford

Watkins has flourished since he moved into the central striker's role at the beginning of the campaign following Neal Maupay's move to Brighton.

The 24-year-old's haul of 22 goals has been backed up by healthy contributions from fellow forwards Bryan Mbeumo (14) and Said Benrahma (10), with Josh Dasilva adding eight from midfield.

"It's good that if Ollie, for whatever reason, is not having his best day, we know we will have goals from other positions," said Frank.

"But when we looked at him in the summer and we knew Neal Maupay would be sold, we knew he could be an option. We knew he definitely had the abilities to be a good striker.

"Then when things just get better and better, you think 'he can do that'. He believes it and now he looks so natural as a number nine, I think he will always be a number nine."

Frank is considering a return to the line-up for Bees captain Pontus Jansson, who has missed the past two months with a hip injury.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-brentford-fulham-thomas-frank-aleksandar-mitrovic-12032011

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Coronavirus (COVID-19): Latest Information & Advice

Fulham Football Club is monitoring the changing situation regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) and is regularly keeping abreast of advice and following Public Health England and NHS guidelines.

Based on current guidelines, and following today's government meeting and declaration of the UK moving to the 'delay' phase, fixtures are going ahead as planned and any change in this situation will be communicated to supporters.

In line with instructions dealing with the outbreak of Coronavirus, the Club encourages supporters to be familiar with Public Health England and NHS guidance, paying particular attention if you have recently travelled to the UK from countries with a higher risk of Coronavirus.

In addition, as announced today, we'd encourage vulnerable people at a higher risk to adhere to the advice and those showing flu-like symptoms to follow the self-isolation procedure as instructed.

This information can be obtained by visiting the following pages:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Public Health England Guidance is updated daily.

The Club has adopted its own measures to mitigate the risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

These measures include:

- encouraging good hand hygiene and stopping handshakes

- limiting staff and supporter interaction with players

- postponing player appearances

- requesting players refrain from signing autographs and posing for selfies

We are aware that some of these measures may inconvenience supporters and hope they understand our reasons for implementing these.

The health and safety of supporters, visitors, players and staff is a priority and we ask those visiting Craven Cottage to take care of their hygiene and wash hands regularly, in keeping with guidelines issued. Hand sanitisers no greater than 100ml in size are permitted inside the ground should supporters wish to bring them.

Other measures introduced include the implementation of many of the club's retail, ticketing and concessionary outlets being cashless.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/march/12/coronavirus-latest-information-and-advice

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Fulham could make Toney move says Peterborough United chairman

Celtic could face competition from Fulham in the summer for Ivan Toney, but the fact the English Championship side are linked with him shows just why the Hoops should make a move for the striker.

According to Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony, if Fulham were forced to sell their current top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic this summer then Toney would be the man they target as his replacement.

READ CELTIC VERDICT

Celtic were linked with a move for Toney in January after sending scouts to watch his performances (Daily Record) and the fact that a club like Fulham are reportedly interested in the 24-year-old as well shows just why the Hoops should reignite that flame and make a move for him in the summer.

Fulham are currently third in the Championship and chasing promotion to the Premier League, emphasising their belief that Toney has the potential to play in the English top flight.

Therefore, the Hoops could sign a striker who has the ability to play in the Premier League for just £10million, with the Peterborough Telegraph reporting that to be his value earlier this month.

Yes, that would break Celtic's £9m transfer record (Transfermarkt) and represent a huge outlay for the club, but the Hoops would be signing a player who is a ready made goalscorer.

Toney has scored 24 goals in League One this season to help Posh push for promotion, and he is the division's top goalscorer, nine goals clear of second (BBC Sport).

Furthermore, if Toney made the move to Glasgow, Celtic would have two strikers up front who have currently scored a combined total of 53 goals between them so far in all competitions this season, taking Odsonne Edouard's tally into account (Transfermarkt).

With Leigh Griffiths also waiting in the wings, Celtic would have some serious firepower in the potential push for 10-in-a-row.



https://readceltic.com/2020/03/12/fulham-could-make-toney-move-says-peterborough-united-chairman/

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What the Bundesliga's bizarre coronavirus proposal would mean for Leeds, Fulham and Brentford

A plan has been hatched over how German football could respond to the spread of coronavirus and if it were to be enacted in England then it would have big repercussions for the Premier League

Countries and football leagues across Europe are reacting to the spread of the coronavirus, and fans of Brentford, Fulham, Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion may be very interested in potential path through the crisis.

While the UK government continues to delay the decision to ban large-scale events, Germany have already taken sporting events behind closed doors or cancel them altogether.

France, Italy, Spain and other nations have also taken a range of steps, all the way up to suspending football and placing whole regions into lockdown.

A left-field idea has emerged in Germany with the Deutscher Fussball-Bund (DFB), the country's football association. Express.de report that there is a proposal for the Bundesliga season to be called off with no champion or relegation.

The five-way title race between Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig would come to nothing if this plot were to be put into action.

Here is where the scenario becomes interesting for Brentford, Fulham, Leeds and West Brom fans. Rather than deny the best-placed teams in the German second division a chance of promotion to the topflight, the Bundesliga would be expanded from 18 to 22 for the 2020/21 season.

Forget the play-offs. In England, that would mean automatic promotion for Championship leaders Leeds, title rivals West Brom, third-placed Fulham and Brentford, currently in fourth.

Liverpool fans would be less than happy if the Premier League took the German idea seriously.

The Reds haven't won the English title since 1990 and those 30 years of hurt would continue with the 2019/20 campaign ruled null and void with no champion, regardless of how far ahead Jurgen Klopp's side may be.

Leicester City, Chelsea and Manchester United were be rewarded with Champions League football for next season by finishing third, fourth and fifth, respectively. UEFA's two-year ban against Manchester City would still hold.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur would go into the Europa League with Arsenal missing out on European football and finishing below Spurs. What a double whammy.

That would lead to a bloated 24-club Premier League season, with 46 games to be played per team, or 1,104 matches across the 2020/21 season before adding in cup fixtures.

Could the football calendar cope?

If UEFA were to suspend Euro 2020 and push the tournament back to the summer of 2021 then that could open up more space for games in other parts of the year.

What a disappointing ending to a sensational run for Liverpool but a silver lining for Leeds, West Brom, Fulham and Brenford.

For now through, English football shows no signs of stopping due to coronavirus, with doors still to be closed on games, never mind competitions.



https://www.football.london/championship/brentford-fulham-leeds-united-coronavirus-17915571

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Fulham boss Scott Parker reflects on Championship promotion race as Leeds United test looms
SCOTT PARKER says his initial aim with Fulham is to seal a place in the top six ahead of a crunch week that features Wednesday's trip to Leeds United.

Parker's Cottagers are rated the prime threat to United's place in the Championship's automatic promotion spots with Fulham seven points behind the Whites in third and four points clear of fourth.

Brentford, who sit fourth, visit Craven Cottage on Friday evening before Fulham will be presented with a chance to cut the gap to Leeds in Wednesday's fixture at Elland Road.

Parker says his side are in a "good place" with the former England midfielder expecting a strong performance in Friday's clash against the Bees and eyeing six points from Fulham's next two games.

Parker, though, says the initial aim has to in sealing Fulham's play-offs place with the London outfit still only nine points clear of seventh-placed Bristol City.

"One game at a time I would say," said Parker, ahead of this week's two big tests.

"Six points there would be very good I think in many ways.

"It's no secret we would like to end up as high as possible in the league, but first and foremost it's about getting that top-six spot and see what happens after that."

Sizing up Friday's clash against Brentford, Parker said: "I think all over the pitch they're a very good side.

"But as always we'll have prepared as well as we can.

"It's a massive game for us. A London derby against a team that's just behind us in the table, a team who when we played them earlier in the season put in a very good performance against us.

"They've done very well this year, so there's a big task ahead of us. There's always challenges ahead and Friday will be that certainly."

"We've come out of the back of some very good form of late and we're in a good place, so I suspect we'll go out there and put in a really good performance to try and take the points."

Bees boss Frank must decide whether to recall captain Pontus Jansson, who has been sidelined since early January due to a hip problem.

"There's still a lot of games to go, so we need to take a good decision, but of course we would like to play him," said Frank.

"We have three very good centre-backs, but there is a reason why he is our captain."

Brentford will still be without injured midfield pair Mathias Jensen and Kamohelo Mokotjo, with neither expected to return until after the international break.



https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/fulham-boss-scott-parker-reflects-championship-promotion-race-leeds-united-test-looms-2448999

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Fulham team news: Trio ruled out of Cottagers' clash with Brentford

Championship promotion hopefuls Fulham and Brentford are due to face off against each other in the West London derby at Craven Cottage on Friday night, with the fixture scheduled to go ahead as planned despite the Coronavirus at the time of writing.

The Cottagers head into the game in better form after having won two out of their previous five Championship games.

By contrast, Brentford have won just one out of their previous five league games.

Scott Parker's Fulham side will have to make do without the services of Joe Bryan (hamstring injury), Terence Kongolo (foot injury) as well as Alfie Mawson (knee injury), according to BBC Sport.

The report added that Maxime Le Marchand and Harrison Reed are back in Cottagers training after returning from injury whilst Josh Onomah will remain out of action.

Fulham will be going for victory during the game.

They are six points adrift of second placed West Bromwich Albion and will be pushing to potentially finish in the top two. 

Parker will be hoping that Fulham's attacking talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic can maintain his good form during the final games of the season.

The Serb is the top scorer in the Championship this season with 23 goals and if there is someone who can inspire the Cottagers to Premier League promotion, it is him.

The reverse fixture between the two teams was played at Griffin Park in December and Brentford won 1-0 through a goal from Bryan Mbeumo.

Fulham's recent record against Brentford is not good and if the visitor manage to win, they will complete the league double over their rivals.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/fulham-team-news-trio-ruled-out-of-cottagers-clash-with-brentford/

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Brentford team news: Duo ruled out of Fulham clash, key man may return

Championship promotion hopefuls Brentford and Fulham will face off against each other in the West London derby at Craven Cottage on Friday, with the visitors hoping to progress their top-six ambitions.

The game was scheduled to go ahead at the time of writing, despite the ongoing concerns around the Coronavirus.

Brentford will fancy their chances of recording the league double against Fulham for the first time since the 2014/15 season after winning the reverse fixture 1-0 at Griffin Park in December through a goal from Bryan Mbeumo.

Bees captain and defender Pontus Jansson is in training and closing in on a return to first-team action after missing the last two months due to a hip injury, according to BBC Sport. 

The report added that Brentford midfielder Mathias Jensen and South African international Kamo Mokotjo remain out of action due to a hamstring and knee injury respectively.

Sergi Canos has however returned to training after making progress in his recovery from a knee injury.

Brentford might face a tough challenge to beat Scott Parker's side this time around.

The Cottagers are on a four-match unbeaten run and will be fired up to win themselves as they are six points adrift of second place West Bromwich Albion, who occupy the second and final automatic promotion position.

The Bees form has dropped during recent weeks as they have won just one out of their previous six games.

However, they can take inspiration from the fact that they have a good away record against Fulham.

The one player from Parker's side whom Brentford need to contain is striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serb is the top scorer in the Championship this season with 23 goals.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/brentford-team-news-duo-ruled-out-of-fulham-clash-key-man-may-return/

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We Meet Again: Fulham

A look back at the first meeting between the teams this season

Brentford will be looking to secure a Sky Bet Championship double over Fulham when they head to Craven Cottage tomorow night. The Bees won the first game between the teams 1-0 with Bryan Mbeumo scoring the only goal. Have a look at the best bits from that game below.

All tickets for the game have been sold. We were sent an allocation of 1,928 tickets for our Sky Bet Championship trip to Craven Cottage and they have now all been sold. No further allocation will be made available.



https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2020/march/we-meet-again-fulham-13.03.20/

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Paul Konchesky: I struggled in Liverpool; the fans are in control



Paul Konchesky admits he experienced "difficult times" at Liverpool but still describes his disappointing five months at Anfield as a "privilege".

Having shone for Roy Hodgson's Fulham side that reached the Europa League final in 2010, Konchesky followed the manager to Merseyside after Hodgson was appointed as Rafa Benitez's successor.

Despite wanting to leave Craven Cottage for Liverpool in the summer of 2010, the transfer proved the most complicated of the left-back's career.

"I knew it was happening but it was dragging on and on," Konchesky told us. "I wasn't allowed to leave until Fulham got another left-sided player to replace me.

"It was getting closer and closer to the end of the window. In your mind, you want to go because Liverpool have come knocking on the door, but then you're thinking it's not going to happen, you've got to go back and you're going to be disappointed.

"It happened on the last day [of the transfer window]. I got told I could go up to Liverpool, do my medical and sign that day. It's a nerve-wracking time. As a player you just want it done. It seems the more you want it done the more it drags on."

But Konchesky endured a torrid time with the Reds, making just 18 appearances in all competitions before dropping down to the Championship to join Nottingham Forest on loan in the following January.

The former England international admits he struggled with the move north and finding himself under constant public scrutiny as opposed to the potential anonymity a city the size of London can provide.

"When you look at Liverpool's history as a football club, what they've achieved is amazing," he says. "I loved every club I played for, but when a massive club like Liverpool come calling you can't turn it down. The opportunity I had to go was fantastic.

"In Liverpool you either support Liverpool or Everton. They love football – you're either a red or a blue. It's so small in Liverpool. Being from London you're not used to how small it is because London is massive so you can support so many different football clubs.

"You walk around in Liverpool and everybody knows you because they all love football. That was the hardest part, moving, because I didn't realise how small it is and how in control all the football fans are."

Konchesky's struggles were exacerbated by the plight of Hodgson, who failed to win over Liverpool supporters and was replaced by Kenny Dalglish in January.

And Konchesky suggests he was made "a little bit" of a scapegoat on the field as one of Hodgson's signings, subjected to jeers from his own supporters after being substituted in a home defeat to Wolves.

"At the time when Roy went, the club was up for sale so it probably wasn't a good time to go. Obviously Roy went and took me. Being a London boy I struggled. I can probably speak for Joe Cole as well, I think he struggled being a London boy.

"They were difficult times but it was an experience I'll never forget. I had the privilege of going to play for what we'll see are the Premier League champions."

Having played in the Premier League since 2000, Konchesky's stock had suddenly dropped so low he found himself having to drop down to the second tier, first on loan at Forest and then with a permanent move to Leicester City.

The Foxes were at that point managed by Sven Goran Eriksson, the man who gave Konchesky his two England caps, and the player showed the mental strength to work his way back for one final season in the Premier League by helping the side win promotion in 2013-14.

"You know what football's like, it's fickle," he says. "It's your life and career, so you can't let things affect you for too long otherwise maybe you don't go on and do what you've got to do.

"It was a fresh start for me. I was thankful that Sven took me again, and I went to another fantastic football club. I had some good times there and I loved every minute of it. I was lucky to go to another football club that really wanted to push on."



https://www.planetfootball.com/in-depth/paul-konchesky-talks-liverpool-transfer-what-went-wrong-for-him-at-anfield/

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Matches in doubt as Hudson-Odoi tests positive for coronavirus

Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi has tested positive for coronavirus.

The England international, 19, is the first Premier League player to test positive for the virus.

Chelsea say their Cobham training ground "will undergo a partial closure" as a result.

The rest of the squad have been isolated and manager Frank Lampard's scheduled pre-match press conference has been cancelled.

Chelsea say Hudson-Odoi "displayed symptoms similar to a mild cold on Monday morning" and stayed away from the the training ground.

The club added that he is "doing well and looking forward to returning to the training ground as soon as it is possible".

Hudson-Odoi posted a video on Twitter in which he said: "As you may be aware I had the virus for the last couple of days which I have recovered from.

"I am following the health guidelines and self-isolating myself from everybody for the week. I hope to see everybody soon and hopefully will be back on the pitch very soon."

It is unclear whether Chelsea's match at Aston Villa on Saturday will go ahead.

Arsenal's game against Brighton on Saturday was postponed after it was announced that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta had tested positive for coronavirus and that his players are currently self-isolating.

The Premier League are due to meet later on Friday to discuss whether other matches will be played.

The English Football League are likely to replicate the Premier League's decision.

Fulham and Brentford are due to play in a west London derby at Craven Cottage on Friday evening, while QPR have a home match against Barnsley on Saturday.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/chelsea/football-matches-in-doubt-as-hudson-odoi-tests-positive-for-coronavirus

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Club Statement

Following this morning's latest announcement from the EFL, the Club can confirm that this evening's scheduled fixture against Brentford has been postponed.

As was specified in the statement, the Football League will be suspended until at least April 3rd, meaning that our fixtures against Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers will also be postponed.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but we trust fans understand the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in.

We will provide details regarding rearranged dates, future fixtures, and related ticketing information when available.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/march/13/club-statement

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EFL confirm suspension of fixtures until April 3 amid coronavirus crisis

Domestic football has been postponed until next month

All EFL matches have been postponed until April 3 at the earliest in light of the coronavirus epidemic.

Games in the Championship, League One and League Two will not take place in the remainder of March and the Premier League has followed suit, postponing until April 3.

A statement said: "Having considered the increased number of cases affecting club players and staff, the [EFL] board were unanimous in their approach and it has been determined that all football activity scheduled to take place this weekend and until April 3, 2020 will be postponed."

The EFL held an emergency meeting on Friday morning after Arsenal and Chelsea announced late the previous night that their first-team squad were self-isolating following diagnoses for Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Later on Friday Everton and Bournemouth announced that some of their players were isolating.

In addition to the EFL and Premier League football across the rest of the country has been postponed, including the FA Cup, FA Women's Super League and Women's Championship.

England's friendlies against Italy and Denmark have also been postponed and fixtures at youth level.

A statement from the FA added: "The decision is being made purely on the number of cases requiring self-isolation and the impact on facilities. Given the steps being taken across clubs, there is no alternative but for today's action.

"However, all parties are committed at this time to trying to complete this season's domestic fixture programme and are liaising to establish appropriate options to do so."

There is a slight discrepancy between the return date for the EFL on April 3 and the Premier League 24 hours later. That is due to a match between Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United scheduled for the evening of Friday, April 3.

It remains to be seen whether the three-week hiatus will end with football being resumed next month with the United Kingdom braced for a sharp increase in cases of COVID-19, with the peak of the crisis not expected for several weeks according to prime minister Boris Johnson.

The EFL's statement added: "In addition, clubs are being advised to suspend indefinitely all non-essential activities which include, but are not limited to, player appearances, training ground visits and fan meetings.

"Whilst the EFL board has continued to take the advice and guidance offered by the Government and its health advisors, emerging developments mean now is the time to implement football's contingency plans in response to the crisis.

"A further update on these plans will be given post an EFL board meeting next week.

"This decision has not been taken lightly, but the EFL must prioritise the health and well-being of players, staff and supporters while also acknowledging the Government's national efforts in tackling this outbreak."



https://www.football.london/football-league/breaking-efl-confirm-suspension-fixtures-17917406

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 Coronavirus: Premier League and EFL postponed until April
The FA, Barclays FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship have joined the EFL and Premier League in postponing their fixtures.

The Premier League and EFL have postponed all fixtures until April 4 and 3 respectively at the earliest due to the threat of the coronavirus.

The Football Association has also postponed England's international friendly matches against Italy and Denmark, scheduled for March 27 and 31 respectively, while the FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship fixtures have also been postponed.

The measure to postpone Premier League football was agreed at an "emergency club meeting" on Friday and in light of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Chelsea midfielder Callum Hodson-Odoi confirming they had tested positive for the virus.

The news was confirmed in a collective statement: "The FA, Premier League, EFL and Barclays FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship have collectively agreed to postpone the professional game in England until 3 April at the earliest.

"This action, which will be kept under constant review, has been taken due to the increasing numbers of Clubs taking steps to isolate their players and staff because of the COVID-19 virus.

"The postponements include all matches in the Championship, League One and League Two, as well as all Academy and youth team fixtures.

"In addition, clubs are being advised to suspend indefinitely all non-essential activities which include, but are not limited to, player appearances, training ground visits and fan meetings.

"Whilst the EFL board has continued to take the advice and guidance offered by the Government and its health advisors, emerging developments mean now is the time to implement football's contingency plans in response to the crisis.

"A further update on these plans will be given post an EFL board meeting next week.

"This decision has not been taken lightly, but the EFL must prioritise the health and well-being of players, staff and supporters while also acknowledging the Government's national efforts in tackling this outbreak."

Premier League clubs already self-isolating
Arsenal head coach Arteta will self-isolate in line with government health guidelines and it is expected the first-team squad - along with coaching staff - will do the same; Arsenal's game against Brighton on Saturday had already been postponed as a result.

An Everton player has been placed in isolation after he reported coronavirus symptoms and Watford have cancelled training this week with several players informing Nigel Pearson they feel unwell.

Five members of staff at Bournemouth, including goalkeeper Artur Boruc, are self-isolating because they are displaying symptoms consistent with Covid-19. Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed on Thursday three of his players are being kept away from the rest of the squad after displaying coronavirus symptoms.

The Premier League has now postponed its entire fixture list until April 4, becoming the latest sporting body to take action to combat the threat of coronavirus.

Many sporting events across Europe have already been postponed or played behind closed doors but several have still gone ahead in the United Kingdom, with the Cheltenham horse racing festival attracting capacity crowds across all four days.

UEFA likely to postpone Euro 2020 until next summer
UEFA members will meet on Tuesday to discuss how best to proceed with domestic and European club competitions amid the coronavirus pandemic - with Euro 2020 likely to be postponed until next summer.

The meeting, which will be held via video conference, will see the 55 member associations discuss the issue and how it might affect Euro 2020, which is scheduled to begin on June 12.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11956776/coronavirus-premier-league-and-efl-postponed-until-april-3

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Matches postponed as Hudson-Odoi tests positive for coronavirus

Premier League and English Football League matches have been halted until at least next month because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Both governing bodies decided that matches will be postponed until 3 April, when the situation will be reviewed.

It means Friday's west London derby between Fulham and Brentford is off along with Chelsea's away match against Aston Villa on Saturday and QPR's game at home to Barnsley.

The FA Women's Super League has also been suspended. Chelsea Women were scheduled to to play Everton on Sunday.

It comes after after it was revealed that Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi has tested positive for coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Uefa have announced that Champions League and Europa League fixtures have been postponed.

Chelsea were due to play away against Bayern Munich – a match scheduled to be played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus outbreak – on Wednesday.

England international Hudson-Odoi, 19, is the first Premier League player to test positive for the virus.

The rest of the Chelsea squad are self-isolating and the club say its Cobham training ground "will undergo a partial closure".

Chelsea say Hudson-Odoi "displayed symptoms similar to a mild cold on Monday morning" and stayed away from the the training ground.

The club added that he is "doing well and looking forward to returning to the training ground as soon as it is possible".

Hudson-Odoi posted a video on Twitter in which he said: "As you may be aware I had the virus for the last couple of days which I have recovered from.

"I am following the health guidelines and self-isolating myself from everybody for the week. I hope to see everybody soon and hopefully will be back on the pitch very soon."

Arsenal's game against Brighton on Saturday was postponed after it was announced that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta had tested positive for coronavirus and that his players are currently self-isolating.

News of Hudson-Odoi and an Everton player also testing positive was followed by an emergency Premier League meeting at which it was agreed that matches should be suspended.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/chelsea/football-was-chelsea-qpr-fulham-brentford-matches-coronavirus

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Academy Fixture Update

Following this morning's announcement from the EFL and Premier League, the club can also confirm that all academy and youth team games have been postponed. Therefore, the U23s fixture against Norwich City at Motspur Park will not go ahead this evening.

Premier League 2 and U18s fixtures will be suspended until at least April 3rd.

We will provide details regarding rearranged dates and future fixtures.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/march/13/academy-fixture-update

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The best Fulham XI so far this season according to ratings

Fulham have had a respectable campaign under rookie manager Scott Parker and sit third in the Championship.

After suffering relegation from the Premier League last season Parker has managed to put together a decent promotion push, even if some fans are demanding more.

Aleksandar Mitrovic has once again proven clinical at this level, while Tom Cairney appears to have recaptured some of his best form.

With a six point gap to second place West Bromwich Albion automatic promotion is still very much a possibility, although a passage through the playoffs is looking increasingly likely following an inconsistent run of form.

Here, we look at the best Fulham starting 11 so far this season, according to WhoScored.

Marek Rodak is the goalkeeper after he displaced Marcus Bettnelli in November, while the chosen defence have all made more than 20 starts this season already.

Harrison Reed gets the nod over Harry Arter or Stefan Johansen, while Decrdova-Reid and Cairney are selected either side of him.

Up front, the choice is rather routine with Mitrovic, Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert Parker's preferred front three for much of the season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-best-fulham-xi-so-far-this-season-according-to-ratings/

[WhiteJC]

Latest update on Coronavirus

As you will probably be aware, our usual monthly meeting with Fulham happened by conference call earlier this week because of sensible precautionary restrictions placed on use of Motspur Park given the coronavirus pandemic.

Unsurprisingly, much of the meeting was about the impact of the spread of the virus on football – the notes are available here. Games have now been suspended until at least April 4th. This prompts a whole series of practical questions likely to come from supporters. From our dialogue with the EFL and via the Football Supporters' Association, we are aware of the general approach from football authorities – but some of the specifics are for individual clubs.

At our most recent meeting, we undertook to provide the Club with the types of questions we thought would arise in the event of behind closed doors fixtures, to help ensure FAQs and information coming from the Club is as helpful as possible. Obviously, they are not able to answer them until it is clear what will happen next – but we wanted to keep you informed of what we are asking on your behalf – so the follow-up questions we have sent in are as below.

Match streaming
We know that the EFL are working on a contingency to enable supporters to watch matches via a live stream, using iFollow – without charge for season ticket holders, or those who have paid for match tickets – and with a charge for those who do not hold match tickets. Fulham FC do not use iFollow, but have their own platform.

    Will the same facility be offered for supporters to watch a stream of games played behind closed doors?
    Is the capacity for FulhamTV able to cope with significant additional demand?
    Will the provider have additional customer service/support available for those who might be using for the first time?
    Games already selected for TV coverage (UK or international) – all of Fulham's remaining fixtures in March – will they be available by stream?
    Will Fulham FC provide a clear explanation for new users of Fulham TV of the technical specification and broadband speed required for viewers to expect a good quality stream?

Ticket refunds
    Tickets purchased for home games on a match by match basis (potentially Brentford, Birmingham) – will they be refunded when the fixtures concerned are played behind closed doors?
    Tickets for away fixtures purchased via Fulham which are played behind closed doors (potentially Leeds, QPR) – will they be refunded via Fulham?
    Will ticket refunds include booking fees?
    Season ticket holders – will season ticket holders be given a refund for those games can't attend or see streams off? Will that be by credit towards next season (as with seat exchange)

If you are not a member, please consider joining the Fulham Supporters Trust today.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2020/03/latest-update-on-coronavirus/

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Fulham v Brentford off as coronavirus forces football into cold storage

Tonight's much-anticipated clash of Championship promotion hopefuls Fulham and Brentford at Craven Cottage is off, following a decision taken this morning by the Premier League and Football League to suspend all matches.

The earliest the action can resume is April 3, although the uncertainty regarding the evolution of what is now classified a pandemic coronavirus disease makes it doubtful that we will see matches return even then.

It inevitably leaves a huge question mark over when, if ever, the season will continue and reach a conclusion.

A late postponement always looked a possibility, given the speed at which events unfolded this week and although Downing Street last night stopped short on insisting on the cancellation of all major sporting events, the football authorities took matters in hand themselves to call a halt.

News that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had contracted the illness yesterday prompted cancellation of Arsenal's weekend trip to Brighton - the Gunners' midweek game at Man City having also been called off a few days earlier because players suspected of contact with carriers had gone into self-isolation.

Also off this weekend are Crystal Palace's trip to Bournemouth and Chelsea's visit to Aston Villa, along with QPR v Barnsley, Hull v Charlton, Millwall v Derby, Doncaster v AFC Wimbledon and Bradford v Leyton Orient.

The two big games in the capital on Sunday - Tottenham v Man United and West Ham v Wolves - are also among the first casualties.

Tuesday's fixtures were meant to include Brentford v West Brom, Chalton v QPR and Barnsley v Millwall in the Championship and Orient v Plymouth in League Two,

Fulham were due to visit Leeds United on Wednesday, while Chelsea's Champions League match at Bayern Munich is postponed altogether, having at first been scheduled to take place behind closed doors.



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/2020/03/13/Fulham-v-Brentford-off-as-coronavirus-forces-football-into-cold-storage