Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 21/09/21...

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Preview: Fulham vs Leeds United

Midweek Carabao Cup action for the Whites.

Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United side take on Sky Bet Championship opposition on Tuesday evening, when they travel to face Fulham (7:45pm).

The Whites head to Craven Cottage looking to progress into Round Four of the Carabao Cup, having previously beaten Crewe Alexandra at Elland Road, in Round Two. The hosts got to this stage by beating their league rivals, Birmingham City.

This is only the second time the two teams have faced one another in what is traditionally know as the 'League Cup', with Leeds winning on that occasion, a one-nil success in the 1969/70 season.

The Cottagers are flying high currently in the second tier of English football, as their good start has them in second place. Five wins, one draw and two losses from their opening eight matches is a good return for Marco Silva, having taken charge in the summer.

The goals have been flowing for Aleksandar Mitrovic, a striker who needs no introduction. He has six to his name up to now and will be a familiar opponent to the Whites, if selected to play.

In the previous round, the goals came from 18-year-old Jay Stansfield, who netted his first for the club, and USA international full-back, Antonee Robinson, also getting his first for Fulham.

For Leeds, Jack Harrison will still be missing from the squad which is a blow, after his two well-taken goals last time out in this competition put the gloss on what was an excellent display from the winger. The other goalscorer vs Crewe, Kalvin Phillips, is available if selected.

The draw for Round Four of the competition will take place around the time of 10pm on Wednesday evening at Potton Bowls Club in Sandy, Bedfordshire, following the conclusion of Manchester United's clash with West Ham United.

Manager/head coach:

Fulham: Marco Silva

Leeds: Marcelo Bielsa

Carabao Cup Round Two result:

Birmingham City 0

Fulham 2 (Stansfield 26', Robinson 90')



Leeds United 3 (Phillips 79', Harrison 85', 90')

Crewe Alexandra 0

Top scorer (all competitions):

Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrovic (6)

Leeds: Raphinha (2), Jack Harrison (2)

Head to head

Fulham: 19

Draws: 15

Leeds: 25

Last win at Craven Cottage:

Friday 19th March, 2021

Premier League 

Fulham 1 (Andersen 38')

Leeds 2 (Bamford 29', Raphinha 58')

Team news:

Marcelo Bielsa and Marco Silva will both have plenty of decisions to make ahead of the game. Changes are expected from each side with opportunities possible for some of the younger players on the books in both West London and West Yorkshire.

The main changes for the Whites are expected to be in the defensive line, with a number of key players missing through both injury and suspension. Fulham are likely to still be missing Tom Cariney, Terence Kongolo, Kenny Tete and Fabio Carvalho on the night.

Officials

Referee – Tim Robinson

Assistant Referee 1 – Nigel Lugg

Assistant Referee 2 – Andrew Fox

Fourth Official – David Rock

Players to watch:

Jay Stansfield vs Crysencio Summerville

Two young players who have tasted first team action recently and will be hoping to get another chance on Tuesday evening in the cup. Stansfield scored last time out for Fulham in this competition against Birmingham, whilst Summerville's impressive performances and record at Under-23s level saw him play against Newcastle in the Premier League on Friday night. If selected, both players will be looking to make an impact and help their side into the draw for Round Four.

Latest odds

Fulham: 7/4

Draw: 23/10

Leeds: 7/5

How to watch

The match has not been selected for live UK broadcast. Match commentary is available via LUTV.



https://www.leedsunited.com/news/team-news/27878/preview-fulham-vs-leeds-united

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Patrick Bamford & Luke Ayling to miss Fulham trip

Duo miss out with injury.

Patrick Bamford and Luke Ayling will both miss tonight's Carabao Cup game with Fulham following injuries picked up in Friday night's match against Newcastle United.

Bamford has an ankle injury, whilst Ayling was withdrawn with a knee injury.

Both will continue rehabilitation at Thorp Arch before Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham United at Elland Road.



https://www.leedsunited.com/news/team-news/28632/patrick-bamford-luke-ayling-to-miss-fulham-trip

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Marco Silva offers message on Rodrigo Muniz at Fulham

Rodrigo Muniz opened his account for Fulham in their 2-1 defeat to Reading on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Brazilian is biding his time providing a backup option to Aleksandar Mitrovic at Craven Cottage, but Muniz's manager Marco Silva remains bullish that the former Flamengo man has what it takes to make it in England.

The Portuguese manager made this clear, speaking with The Athletic.

He said:  "He's a young player who needs time to adapt. It's a new country, culture, language and competition. But he's 20 years old and scored important goals for a big club in a tough, tough competition in Brazil.

"He's a player that I have no doubts will be important for our squad in the present and the future."

With Mitrovic's pedigree at Championship level it will be difficult, barring an injury, for Muniz to find regular first team action.

However, Silva is evidently happy with him as a backup option and will want to give him the exposure so he can develop into a valuable player next season if the Cottagers achieve promotion to the Premier League.

It is a nice environment in attempting to prove himself in England for Muniz, you can guarantee chances will be provided in every match with the quality creative contingent Fulham have for second tier level.

The Verdict

It will be very tough to dislodge Mitrovic this season, hopefully for Muniz's sake the Cottagers play two up front at some point or the 20-year-old can break into the side in another role.

It will be interesting to see Muniz's involvement in Tuesday evening's cup tie against Leeds United, Silva may well give the striker the chance to kick on from his first goal and Premier League opposition provides a unique opportunity to judge his credentials.

The Muniz versus Mitrovic battle may be an ongoing one this season, so far so good for Fulham in their quest for automatic promotion.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/marco-silva-offers-message-on-rodrigo-muniz-at-fulham/

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Fulham next up for the Robins
Tickets remain on general sale for City's Sky Bet Championship clash with Fulham.

The Robins host Marco Silva's side at Ashton Gate on Saturday (September 25th, 3pm) off the back of four unbeaten league matches.

An attendance of around 18,000 is already guaranteed with tickets priced from £30 for Adults and Under-12s from £10.

Bristol City Members are reminded they can take advantage of £5 off their match ticket.

Saturday's fixture is only available on Robins TV to overseas subscribers, as per EFL regulations, with coverage starting from 2.30pm.



https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/fulham-next-up-for-the-robins/

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Getting to the Gate: Fulham

City return to Ashton Gate this Saturday (September 25th) for the visit of Fulham and here's some important travel information for the day.

Fans travelling from within Bristol are advised to use a new bus service from Temple Meads, Broadmead and The Centre. The AG3 connects with bus routes from across the city and is also suitable for those arriving in Bristol by train or bus.

For those travelling from outside Bristol, free parking is available at the Portway and Brislington Park & Ride sites with the AG1 and AG2 matchday bus services.

These subsidised services offer return travel from just £1.80 per person. Tickets are valid across the First Bus Bristol Zone so you can connect to other services without paying extra.

Pre-Match Timings

    AG1: buses depart Portway Park & Ride every 15 minutes between 12:45 and 14:45. Journey time approx 15 minutes
    AG2: buses depart Brislington Park & Ride every 20 minutes between 12:45 and 14:25. Journey time approx 20 minutes
    AG3: buses depart Temple Meads every 15 minutes between 12:45 and 14:45. Journey time approx 20 minutes from Temple Meads and 15 minutes from The Haymarket and the Centre

Post-Match

    Buses depart from Winterstoke Road regularly after the final whistle with the last departure at 18:30 on all routes
    AG1 departs from outside The Robins Pub
    AG2 departs from outside South Bristol Retail Park
    AG3 departs from outside Trust Ford

Tickets, Pricing and Further Details

More information including tickets, pricing and stop details are available here.

For other travel options, click here.



https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/getting-to-the-gate-fulham-1/

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Up next: Leeds United (h)

After two defeats in three league games deflated Fulham's early season optimism, Marco Silva may well be glad of the break from the unforgiving grind of a Championship promotion campaign this evening. The Fulham head coach has already indicated that rotation will be the order of the day as Premier League Leeds United roll into town for a League Cup tie that should allow some of the fringe players to press their own claims for a first team spot without the pressure of three league points to play for.

A noticeably weaker under-23 side than normal lost to Wolves at Kidderminster last night, suggesting that several of the key players in Steve Wigley's previously unbeaten outfit – who still top the table on goal difference – might be the beneficiaries of changes to Silva's usual starting line-up. Perhaps the most interesting selection conundrum of all could be at right back where a selection of the club's younger prospects may be competing to replace Denis Odoi in that position given the extended absence of Kenny Tete through injury.

With Cyrus Christie out of favour, it is likely that Silva will turn to one of Steven Sessegnon or Marlon Fossey this evening. Sessegnon has the first team pedigree having been handed a few league starts in the early part of last season by Scott Parker after getting a taste of senior football in the cup competitions by Slavisa Jokanovic. Injury disrupted a loan spell at Bristol City designed to get him more game time last season – and you get the feeling it is approaching crunch time for his Fulham career. Fossey has also had dreadful luck with injuries but his sense of adventure from right back will appeal to Silva. The American has featured prominently for the under-23s, linking up with Sonny Hilton and Jay Stansfield successfully down the right.

Adrion Pajaziti impressed in central midfield at Birmingham in the last round of the League Cup and may well get another opportunity in the engine room tonight. Tyrese Francois made a real impression in the summer on Silva and did well on his first senior side on the opening weekend against Middlesbrough. Irish youth international Ollie O'Neill, so impressive in recent years during his rise through the academy, may also feature having been left out of the under-23 game last night and his creativity has really shone in a successful period for the youth sides.

Jay Stansfield, scorer of a stunning first senior goal at St. Andrew's, is likely to get the nod to lead the line tonight. The teenage striker may be a potent penalty area poacher but has shown that there is more to his game than just scoring goals – and may be line for further first team football after Rodrigo Muniz, who looked bright in grabbing a goal off the bench against Reading at the weekend, sustained an injury on Saturday. He may a totally different proposition to Aleskandar Mitrovic, both in stature and style, but Stansfield offers a different type of threat to defences and has scored goals at every level in youth football.

There is some debate about how strong a side Marcelo Bielsa might field at Craven Cottage tonight. There could be a return for Cody Drameh, who left for Leeds last summer, and the visitors have an academy set-up that has produced a succession of outstanding talents in recent years. Whatever the composition of the Leeds line-up this evening, it will be a stern test for some of Fulham's brightest youngsters on the big stage.

MY FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Fossey, S. Sessegnon, Mawson, Hector; Francois, Pajaziti; Kebano, Quina, Knockaert, Stansfield. Subs: Gazzaniga, Robinson, Adarabioyo, Onomah, Chalobah, Cavaleiro, O'Neill.




https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/09/up-next-leeds-united-h-2/

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Adam Forshaw set for rare appearance in Leeds United clash v Fulham

Adam Forshaw is set to make a "rare first-team appearance" for Leeds United on Tuesday when they play Fulham in the Carabao Cup, according to the Express.

The newspaper reports via their print edition on September 21 [page 53] that Forshaw, 29, is in line to make his second start of the season for the Whites when they take on Marco Silva's side at Craven Cottage.

It is understood that due to an injury crisis at Elland Road, Crysencio Summerville may also be handed a start by Marcelo Bielsa.



Big test for fringe players

Due to the injuries mounting up at Leeds, Bielsa is going to be forced into naming a much-changed starting line-up at Craven Cottage.

He also needs to keep one eye on the game against West Ham this weekend with the Whites yet to win in the Premier League this season.

Even if Bielsa has to name a side made up of fringe players and Under-23s stars, it should still be a team that is capable of beating Fulham.

Fulham have not been in the best of form lately, losing two of their last three Championship fixtures at the hands of Blackpool and Reading.

Silva's squad is still quite similar to the one that featured in the Premier League last season but Leeds are still capable of beating their first and second string squads with a weakened side of their own.

There are some very talented young players at Elland Road while the experienced head of someone like Forshaw, who has a point to prove after almost two years of being injured, is also going to help out massively.

We're dying to see a good cup run under Bielsa and hopefully this season offers us that.



https://motleedsnews.com/matchday/adam-forshaw-set-for-rare-appearance-in-leeds-united-clash-v-fulham/

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Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa must start Crysencio Summerville vs Fulham in the Carabao Cup

Amid a difficult start in the Premier League, Leeds United will be hoping for a bit of a lift when they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Marcelo Bielsa's side were held to a 1-1 draw last Friday against Newcastle United, and amid a torrent of injuries, the Whites boss had to turn to one of his club's rising stars in the second-half of that match: Crysencio Summerville.

And, after watching him make his debut at St James' Park, Leeds' U23s boss Mark Jackson said: "Proud to see any player step up and make a debut. I was watching the game, Cry's worked extremely hard.

"He's been one of them players, like I said with Amari (Miller), the new players, it takes time to gel but I spoke to him yesterday at the training ground. I said 'that's your little taste of it, now the hardest part is trying to establish yourself in the team for any player."

Hailed as a "bag of tricks" by Chris Powell, his former coach when he was a teenager at Dutch side ADO Den Haag, the 19-year-old was in superb touch for the youth sides last season netting an impressive six goals and providing a further six assists in just 12 Premier League 2 games.

And, against Guiseley during pre-season earlier in the summer, it was Summerville who put in the kind of performance that had people raving.

After watching his goal-scoring display, Leeds Live's Joe Donnohue said on Twitter: "Cody Drameh and Crysencio Summerville were great together down the right flank for Leeds' U23s last season. Seems like more of the same this year. Drameh an excellent carrier, weightless going forward. Summerville a wriggler, impossible to handle."

Meanwhile, Jackson added: "With regards to a set of tools that a player has: pace, trickery and the strength now, he's got the tools hopefully to make an impact. Like I said with every young player we don't want to get too carried away with them, we want them to understand that it's just the first step being involved in and around the first-team, and that it takes a lot to maintain your place there."

Given that Bielsa showed enough trust in him to bring on him against Newcastle, Summerville should surely get his first opportunity to start for Leeds tonight.

And with that combination of pace and trickery like Jackson says, he could really terrify Fulham tonight.



https://www.footballfancast.com/leeds-united-news/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-crysencio-summerville-fulham-premier-league-carabao-cup-team-news-elland-road-match-preview

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Fulham boss Marco Silva makes Leeds United admission and hails Marcelo Bielsa's work with Whites
Fulham boss Marco Silva has outlined his plan for tonight's Carabao Cup clash against a "very strong" Leeds United side, under a "very good" head coach.

The Cottagers and Whites will go head to head in Tuesday night's third round tie at Craven Cottage as a place in the competition's last 16 awaits the winners.

Fulham were relegated last year but sit second in the Championship table having won five of their first eight league games.

Leeds are still seeking their first victory of the new Premier League season and sit fourth bottom but Silva says he is braced for a hard test and an 'intense' game against Marcelo Bielsa's Whites.

"It will be a tough game against a very strong side with a very good manager," said Silva, speaking at his pre-match press conference and as quoted by fulhamfc.com.

"Marcelo as a coach has always had many different ideas with the way he likes to play.

"It's always a really intense game, their press is always really high.

"If you want to match them and fight for the result, then the intensity of the game will be higher 100 per cent, but it's up to us to match it, and after to show our quality as well.

"It will be a really tough one, but we are here, we play at home and want to show our fans that we are here to fight and try to go through in the competition."

Asked if the two teams' style of play would make for a good game, Silva said: "I think so and I hope so."

"We have to be aggressive, we have to match their intensity because they have a lot of individual and collective quality.

"They always have a high intensity on the pitch, they have very good pace in their front players as well, and a very good manager.

"We want to match them. We like this competition and we want to do well in this competition."



https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/fulham-boss-marco-silva-makes-leeds-united-admission-and-hails-marcelo-bielsas-work-with-whites-3390612

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Leeds United suffer double injury scare ahead of Fulham cup clash

Ahead of their important Carabao Cup tie against Fulham on Tuesday evening, according to recent reports, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has suffered a double injury scare and maybe without two key players.

That's according to a recent report from Football Insider, who claims the Whites may have to navigate their way past Championship side Fulham without the help of striker Patrick Bamford and full-back Luke Ayling.

It has been noted that the pair have picked up injuries ahead of the cup clash – with Bamford failing to travel with the squad at all.

Elsewhere, Ayling was seen hobbling off during his side's 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in last weekend's Premier League match.

Should the pair fail to Bielsa's matchday squad to face Fulham at Craven Cottage, Bielsa will likely be forced to call upon the services of Rodrigo and Stuart Dallas, both of whom can act as competent replacements, however, the news is far from ideal.

Fulham vs. Leeds United in the Carabao Cup's third round is scheduled to kick-off at 7.45pm (UK time) and will be played live from Craven Cottage.



https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/09/21/leeds-united-suffer-double-injury-scare-ahead-of-fulham-cup-clash/

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Leeds United: Fans react as Phil Hay drops injury news

A lot of Leeds United fans have taken to Twitter to share their concerns ahead of their Carabao Cup clash against Fulham following Phil Hay's latest update.

According to the Leeds correspondent, there will be a lot of players missing from Marcelo Bielsa's side to face Championship side Fulham on Tuesday night.

As well as a number of senior players who were already out through respective injuries including the likes of Luke Ayling and Diego Llorente, Patrick Bamford is also set to miss the clash at Craven Cottage following a knock he picked up against Newcastle United on Friday.

Leeds fans flocked to Hay's tweet as he provided the latest injury update as they showed their worries ahead of the clash against Marco Silva's Cottagers.

What exactly did these Leeds fans have to say?

"Haha Spain without the S"
@Yorky2860
"One injury-free season is all I ask for..."
@bethgabriel_
"Praying that Bamford one is just a small knock and nothing serious"
@MOTweets1919
"All our players are made of glass, the slightest knock and they're out for 2 weeks. Is this the type of player we want?!"
@Adventu02457903
"Will be another loss, this"
@tom28542744
"There aren't many clubs with a waiting list to see the physio."
@MrPaulRobinson

On top of the injuries within the Leeds squad, Pascal Struijk will be serving the second of his three-game ban following his red card against Liverpool at Elland Road.

With a clash against West Ham United at the weekend coming up, it seems these fans will be hoping some of the stars listed by Hay will be back in time for the game at Elland Road.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2021/09/blogs/premier-league/leeds-united/leeds-united-fans-react-as-phil-hay-drops-injury-news/

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Carabao Cup fourth round draw details as Leeds United look to progress against Fulham

Leeds United and Fulham will battle it out for a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday

The winners of Tuesday's clash between Fulham and Leeds United will not have to wait long to discover who they will face in the fourth round of the competition.

Leeds booked their place in the third round of the competition with a convincing win over Crewe Alexandra but will face a much sterner test against Championship promotion-chasers Fulham.

Now led by former Everton boss Marco Silva, they have made a promising start to the 2021/22 campaign, in contrast to Leeds who have yet to pick up a single Premier League victory.

The fourth round draw will take place on Wednesday and will be shown live on Sky Sports Football following the conclusion of the televised meeting between Manchester United and West Ham United.

The location of the draw may surprise some, as it will take place at Potton Bowls Club in Sandy, Bedfordshire.

58-year-old Arsenal fan Gary Gunn was the winner of the EFL's 'Win the Draw' competition, meaning the draw will take place at the bowls club he is a member of.

Sky Sports pundits Micah Richards and Jamie Redknapp will be picking teams for the draw, and TV personality Mark Wright will also be part of the coverage.

Leeds have not fared particularly well in the Carabao Cup in recent years, but did field a strong starting XI for the visit of Crewe last month.

However, doubts over the fitness of key figures such as Diego Llorente and Raphinha may force Leeds to draft fringe players into the starting XI.

There may even be an opportunity for some members of the under-23 squad to be handed senior appearances, after several were named as substitutes for the 1-1 draw against Newcastle United.

Leeds will be taking on a Fulham side which boasts a plethora of talent but can frustrate supporters with unpredictability.

Across their last four league matches, they have swept aside Birmingham City and Stoke City but also suffered shock defeats to Blackpool and Reading.



https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/carabao-cup-fourth-round-draw-21612991

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Marcelo Bielsa likely to start Roberts ahead of Bamford v Fulham - report

Tyler Roberts will reportedly lead the line for Leeds United in their Carabao Cup clash against Fulham later today (Tuesday).

According to LeedsLive, he is likely to start this game as Patrick Bamford has not travelled with the squad to London, but is not injured.

Roberts, who is yet to start a Premier League game this term, started the cup game versus Crewe in August and is likely to be handed another spot in Bielsa's eleven in London.

Speaking on the Phil Hay Show, The Athletic journalist stated that he needs to deliver soon as he could be sold should he not perform up to the desired standards.

He said, "There had been a general loss of patience with [Helder] Costa. I got the sense that the fanbase reached the view that it was never going to happen.

"Roberts is kind of the next in line as the player who needs to start clicking properly. He never gets on a roll. He does need to have a good season I feel."

Make the most of it

Roberts isn't Bielsa's go to option in attack despite him showing plenty of promise since arriving at the club from West Brom in 2018.

That's probably because he hasn't delivered goals and assists on a regular basis and has found himself falling down the pecking order at Elland Road.

With Dan James arriving, he's possibly the fourth-choice wide attacker for the Whites and even in the striking positions, Bamford and Rodrigo are the preferred options.

This should be a game that Leeds should win and it's time he steps up or he could end up being shown the door at the club.

Bielsa is known to make clinical decisions about players who he doesn't deem worthy enough to be a part of his squad and the 22-year-old could have the same fate.

Hopefully, he can turn things around quickly and find himself starting some more games than he is currently.



https://motleedsnews.com/matchday/marcelo-bielsa-likely-to-start-roberts-ahead-of-bamford-v-fulham-report/

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Leeds United's predicted line-up vs Fulham in the Carabao Cup

Leeds United take on Fulham in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night hoping to get back to winning ways after a tough run of results in the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa's side head into tonight's contest at Craven Cottage off the back of an enthralling 1-1 draw against Newcastle United last Friday, and the Whites boss will have to deal with some major injury issues against the Cottagers.

That could see a number of fringe players being given their chance to shine, while a couple of academy starlets will no doubt be banging on the door to make a rare appearance too.

And with that in mind, below is a look at how Leeds might line up when they make the trip down to London to face Fulham in the Carabao Cup.

In goal, Illan Meslier is likely to keep his place especially with there being numerous injuries to the defence in front of him.

The likes of Diego Llorente, Robin Koch and Luke Ayling will all be missing through injury, while Pascal Struijk will serve the second of his three-game suspension for his challenge on Liverpool's Harvey Elliott a couple of weeks ago.

That could see 19-year-old Charlie Cresswell come into the side to make only his second appearance for the seniors, partnering club captain Liam Cooper at the back.

Speaking after signing his new contract earlier in the summer, Crewsswell himself said: "I'm confident, I'm a leader, I like to play and I like to head it! There's lots of players in the first team that I look up to, the likes of Coops, Bill, they lead by example and that is what I want to try and follow."

Dubbed a "dying breed" for his leadership and communication skills at the back, Leeds U23's boss Mark Jackson added: "Charlie's got that, he understands how to lead and we've been working with him a long time, in the academy even, when he first broke through in the 18s as a 16-year-old, (working) on his leadership skills.

"Even on the bench in the second half, he's still talking behind me so that's a positive because you don't find many of them these days and we've got to try and embrace that, he's got to try embrace it and develop it as well – and that's a real positive within his game."

Further forward, the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Adam Forshaw could make rare appearances in the first-team, with the latter of course having only recently come back from a very long-term injury.

Crysencio Summerville could get the nod out wide with Dan James on the other side, while Tyler Roberts could come in up front to allow Patrick Bamford to sit out and recuperate.

Predicted XI: Meslier; Dallas, Cresswell, Cooper, Firpo; Forshaw, Shackleton, Klich; James, Summerville, Roberts.



https://www.footballfancast.com/leeds-united-news/leeds-united-fulham-carabao-cup-marcelo-bielsa-premier-league-team-news-elland-road-predicted-lineup-xi

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How has Fulham's Timmy Abraham started to life on loan at Newport County?

Timmy Abraham is probably best known for being the younger brother of new Roma signing Tammy Abraham.

He started his youth career at Charlton Athletic before moving to Fulham in 2017.

The 20-year-old has had difficult loan spells at Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Raith Rovers where he was unable to score in any of his 14 games.

The forward has had a brief spell in the Fulham's U23 side where he  scored two goals in the EFL Trophy in 2019. Timmy is quite far down Fulham's pecking order of strikers but knows there is a chance if he can find his scoring touch like Jay Stansfield, who is the most recent young forward to get his chance in the first-team.

In the summer of 2021, Abraham sealed a season-long loan move to League Two side Newport County. The Welsh side who missed out on promotion in last season's play-off final currently find themselves in 12th-place with 11 points to their name.

Abraham has appeared in every league game, bar the most recent where he was an unused substitute. He is yet to score in the league this season, but has found his scoring touch in the cup competitions.

His first start of the season saw him score the only goal in a 1-0 away in the EFL cup against Ipswich Town. His side progressed into the Second Round of the cup but that was the furthest they would go as they were on the end of an 8-0 thrashing to Southampton.

Abraham's second goal for the club came in the EFL Trophy where he scored the second in a 2-0 win over former club Plymouth. With Timmy only starting three of the seven games this season he will be hoping to make more of an impact in the coming games.



https://the72.co.uk/250895/how-has-fulhams-timmy-abraham-started-to-life-on-loan-at-newport-county/

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Predicted Fulham XI to face Leeds United as Silva gives injury update on his squad

Fulham will be hoping to progress into the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup as they face Leeds United at Craven Cottage.

They come into the game following a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Reading. As for Leeds they played away to Newcastle United and picked up a point, following a 1-1 draw.

Manager Marco Silva who completely changed his starting 11 in the last round of the Cup is expecting to do the same as his side face a busy period.

Silva who spoke to Pete Rutzler from the Athletic, gave his immediate injury news following the Reading game:

"Let's see the situation with Harrison Reed. (Reading) was a risk. He had a small issue that's still there. Let's hope he can be ready for Tuesday. The others are injured. Joe Bryan will be OK for Tuesday."

He also mentioned post-Reading that Muniz had a knock, and gave his verdict on whether any youth players could be involved:

"Let's see. It's a possibility of course, we will check the players. Of course you want to to play with a strong side. The best players in the best physical conditions, they will start for sure."

Fulham's U23 side faced Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday which ended in a 2-1 defeat for the London side. Jay Stansfield and Adrion Pajaziti who featured in the last round of the cup did not make the trip North and are expected to feature against Leeds.

With Fulham facing Bristol City on Saturday we expect them to make a plethora of changes to the starting 11, here is how we predict them to line up against Leeds:

(GK) Rodak

(RB) Odoi

(CB) Mawson

(CB) Hector

(LB) Bryan

(CM) Francois

(CM) Quina

(CM) Onomah

(LW) Kebano

(RW) Decordova-Reid

(ST) Stansfield

We expect to see nine changes from the side that faced Reading and anticipate seeing a few youngsters on the bench.



https://the72.co.uk/250929/predicted-fulham-xi-to-face-leeds-united-as-silva-gives-injury-update-on-his-squad/

[WhiteJC]

'It's up to us' – Fulham boss looks ahead to Leeds United test
Fulham will be hoping to make amends from their disappointing defeat to Reading as they face Leeds United in the Carabao Cup this evening.

Fulham will be playing their third game in just six days and manager Marco Silva is expected to make a host of changers to help freshen up his side.

Silva who spoke to Pete Rutzler from the Athletic was asked about changes to his side following this busy period.

"We will do, not just because of knocks. Four games in 10 days, it's almost impossible to keep the same players," he said.

Silva saw his side lose their first home league game of the season, thanks to two goals from Reading winger Ovie Ejaria and expects a tougher challenge for his side.

"The intensity of the game will be higher, but it's up to us to match it," he continued.

"We are at home and we want to respond from (Reading) and show our fans that we are here to fight and go through in the competition."

Fulham, who currently find themselves second in the Championship, two points behind Bournemouth face Bristol City on Saturday and will be hoping to return to winning ways in the Cup to help gain momentum.

Silva's side currently find themselves the top scorers in the league and will be hoping to put this to good use against Premier League side Leeds.

Leeds, who currently find themselves in 17th place are one of five teams yet to win in the league, their only win this season came in the Carabao Cup and was a convincing 3-0 win against Crewe Alexandra.  With Leeds yet to keep a clean sheet in the League, Fulham will be hoping to find the breakthrough against a shaky defence.

As for Fulham they have also played one game in this competition – goals from Jay Stansfield and Antonee Robinson previously saw off Birmingham City 2-0.



https://the72.co.uk/250925/its-up-to-us-fulham-boss-looks-ahead-to-leeds-united-test/

[WhiteJC]

Fear and loathing at Craven Cottage – Volume 5: Reading (h)

It had been a few weeks since our last trip to the Cottage. In addition to the delay of an  International break we approached the game against Reading no longer under the illusion that "HMS Piss the league" wouldn't be without a few icebergs along the way, as recently experienced while docking in Blackpool. A more convincing mid week jaunt to Birmingham however meant that optimism on route this Saturday in the sunshine was still pretty high.

Sure we were still without the boy wonder Fabio Carvalho and Harrison Reed was a doubt but ours is a squad that should on paper have had enough to cope with such absences. The pre match analysis also reminded us that Tom Cairney and Terrance Kongolo were unavailable but as the sun had indeed risen that morning (and The Pope was still a Catholic) I naturally assumed that to be the case anyway.


Having loaded up on Ramen and soft shell crab tempura before the game I met my  acquaintance for the day at Hammersmith station and popped in to the Duke of Cornwall on the way for a swift pint, made all the more bitter as it was accompanied by Brenford on the TV comfortably dispatching Wolves in the early kick-off. In hindsight this afternoon was never destined to recover from such an early blow.


My guest was an Everton fan who also happens to play for the same Sunday league Veterans team as myself and having recently cracked a rib in a committed challenge for said team I felt a first ever trip to The Cottage may well by the tonic to brighten up his weekend. The downside to meeting in Hammersmith of course meant there was no red carpet treatment for that introduction to the Craven Cottage experience with the Bishops Park walk but I did my best to give a brief tour of the key sights prior to settling in for the kick off in H5. I will apologise to the person stuck behind my guest who in addition to having to contend with the stadium structure restricting their view would also have struggled to see much over his 6'6 frame. Given the result however it may be you who owes me a gratitude of thanks.


Having spent much of the pre game talking up the impressive job Marco Silva had done in transforming Fulham's attacking intent to an Everton fan, I was left feeling that the team really weren't holding up their end in supporting my argument as the first half went on. Our left hand side with Robinson and Cavaleiro were particularly guilty of loose passing while Harry Wilson was completely anonymous for at least forty minutes. The attacks that did result in us registering shots on target seemed to be exclusively limited to being straight at the keeper and with little to no conviction.

Reading who had brought along a good following given the short 30 minute journey into Paddington played some neat football but were by no means on top. It would be unfair to say that Ovie Ejaria's opener in the 20th minute was against the run of play but nevertheless it still came as a shock to the system. I haven't been shy in airing my disapproval at Gazzaniga being our first choice keeper but there was very little he could have done with that one. Instead I found comfort in staring hopefully at Rodrigo Muniz warming up who I noticed for the first time in front of the Riverside stand.


It was hard to put a finger on exactly what was going wrong for Fulham but the centre of midfield seemed to lack any sort of balance. Seri was doing his thing and unlike everyone around him rarely misplacing a pass but BDR never really seemed to get a foothold in the game and Chalobah was a bit of a headless chicken. Even now I can't work out if he had a good or bad game. Neither seemed to be in sync with Mitrovic who, considering he was playing in a team that registered a total of 25 shots in the game, seemed to cut a fairly isolated figure. Just before the break Antonee Robinson produced his obligatory one good cross only for Mitro to hit the bar when he should have done better. I certainly wasn't ready to surrender but being surrounded by so many waving white flags in the Hammersmith end it just felt like it may be one of those days.


Whether or not the team received a half time ticking off is a mystery but the second forty five started quickly with Cavaleiro doing more than he had done in the whole of the first half and getting a good shot away following some tricky work down the left. That lifted the crowd for all of eight minutes until Reading promptly went down the other end and scored a second following yet another loose pass and some fairly suspect defending alongside little to no effort by the now manbunless Gazzaniga to prevent Ejaria from scoring again.


A host of Fulham changes seemed to do very little to turn the tide. Kebano was brought on at right back for Odoi in an attempt to give us a threat down the right wing given that Wilson was having without doubt his worst performance so far in a Fulham shirt. Onomah replaced Seri in midfield but only served to add further imbalance and confusion around who was doing what while Muniz made his Craven Cottage debut coming on for BDR as we went with two up top for the final thirty minutes.


There were definitely signs of a partnership with both Muniz and Mitrovic combining together a few times although it remains to be seen how often we would actually play two up top outside of sheer desperation. Muniz's first goal gave us hope and but for an excellent save Onomah may well have equalized late on but it never felt like it was going to be our day.


For the first time this season we departed The Cottage without any points and a little unsure if this season would be as smooth sailing as we first thought. I suspect if it were anyone other than Scott Parker's Bournemouth ahead of us at the top of the league we would be more content with sitting second after eight games. Whether complacency had set in after the Birmingham game I couldn't say but there were plenty of poor performances to suggest as much.

The novelty of a mid week League cup fixture against Premier League opposition felt like a pointless distraction in the wake of another defeat and the need for a good result at Ashton gate next Saturday was the major point of discussion as we trudged down Stevenage road.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/09/fear-and-loathing-at-craven-cottage-volume-5-reading-h/

[WhiteJC]

Leeds Matchday Preview

Fulham v Leeds United | Tuesday 21st September 2021 | 7.45pm | Craven Cottage | #CarabaoCup
The opposition

    It has been a testing start to the season for Leeds, who currently sit 17th in the Premier League table, having taken just three points from a possible 15.
    Their sole win of the campaign came in the Carabao Cup, when late goals from Kalvin Phillips and Jack Harrison (2) saw off a resolute Crewe Alexandra side.
    Having played on Friday night, United will have had an extra day of rest going into this cup tie, but that draw at Newcastle United also saw them pick up a couple of injuries which will play a factor in team selection.


Fulham team news

Marco Silva has suggested changes will be made to his side, but because of the quick turnaround of matches rather than devaluing the Carabao Cup, a competition he rates highly. Joe Bryan could be back in contention after missing the weekend, but Harrison Reed and Rodrigo Muniz are doubts.

Leeds team news

Patrick Bamford and Luke Ayling both picked up knocks at St James' Park and will miss the trip to the capital, as will Jack Harrison, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente. Pascal Struijk will also be absent through suspension.

Tickets

Tickets will be available to purchase from the ground up until kick-off, but fans are encouraged to buy online and print at home in advance.

FFCtv

We are not permitted to stream Carabao Cup matches, but live commentary will still be available on FFCtv.

Weather

A dry but cloudy evening is forecast in SW6, with temperatures around 19 degrees.

Permutations

If the scores are level after 90 minutes, a penalty shoot-out will take place. The Round Four draw will be held following the conclusion of Wednesday's fixtures.

Player insight

After scoring in Round Two against Birmingham City, Jay Stansfield is hoping to get a chance for another runout, this time in front of a home crowd.

"I can't wait," he told FFCtv. "Obviously it was good to play at Birmingham and there was a good number [of away supporters] there, but to be back at the Cottage in front all of the home fans, hopefully I can show what I can do, and what we can do as a team, and hopefully we can get the win."

Form

Fulham: WWLWL

Leeds: DWDLD

Pre-match quote

"We have to be aggressive, we have to match their intensity because they have a lot of individual and collective quality."

Marco Silva
Fulham Head Coach

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/september/Leeds-Matchday-Preview/

[WhiteJC]

Phil Hay confirms Leeds United injury setback to Luke Ayling before Fulham clash

The Athletic's Phil Hay has revealed that Leeds United defender Luke Ayling is among a number of players who will be missing from tonight's Carabao Cup clash against Fulham.

What's the story?

Writing on Twitter, the journalist revealed: "A lot of absentees at Fulham tonight – Koch, Llorente, Ayling, Harrison etc. Bamford took that knock in the second half at Newcastle so not expecting him to play. Forshaw has a chance of featuring though. #lufc"

This was then confirmed by the club's official website, which posted: "Patrick Bamford and Luke Ayling will both miss tonight's Carabao Cup game with Fulham following injuries picked up in Friday night's match against Newcastle United.

"Bamford has an ankle injury, whilst Ayling was withdrawn with a knee injury. Both will continue rehabilitation at Thorp Arch before Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham United at Elland Road."

Bielsa will be worried

While Ayling being ruled out for a third round Carabao Cup clash away at Championship side Fulham is hardly likely to have Bielsa sweating buckets, the Leeds manager will certainly be worried about how significant the 30-year-old's injury is going forward.

With Llorente, Koch and Struijk all out either through injury or suspension, centre-back has suddenly become an area of real concern for Bielsa after initially being a position of strength.

Whilst he may not be the most glamorous or eye-catching name on the team-sheet, there's no questioning that Ayling has been one of the manager's most trusted lieutenants over the past couple of seasons.

The £45k-a-week ace played the full 90 minutes in every single Premier League game last season bar one, and even that was when Bielsa took him off to try and find a goal in the last 20 minutes against ten-man Arsenal.

Ayling also wore the captain's armband on 12 occasions last year, and his leadership at the back is something the Whites could desperately use when you consider that other first-choice defenders such as Llorente, Koch and Struijk are also ruled out.

Described as a "great technician", his presence in the side cannot be underestimated, with Bielsa saying after Leeds' 3-0 victory over Aston Villa back in late October that the right-back "transmitted serenity to the rest of the team".

The Leeds boss even once said that Ayling was someone "who can solve any problem", and that's exactly why Hay's update is a body blow for Bielsa and the club.



https://www.footballfancast.com/leeds-united-news/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-phil-hay-luke-ayling-fulham-match-preview-team-news-elland-road-predicted-xi-lineup