Fulham play hosts to Manchester United at Craven Cottage on Sunday, hoping to bounce back to winning ways in the Premier League.
The Cottagers had a tough pill to swallow last weekend, losing 2-1 to 10-men Manchester City in the final minute of added time. They are ninth in the table with 19 points from 14 games, seven points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham.
Having watched Man United succumb to a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa away last weekend, Marco Silva will be firing up his boys for a big scalp before the World Cup hiatus.
Fulham Team News
In what is set to be a big blow for Fulham, Aleksandar Mitrovic will certainly miss the game against Man United. Mitrovic was left out of Fulham’s 2-1 defeat to Man City due to an ankle problem and Marco Silva will not risk the Serbian striker this weekend ahead of the World Cup.
Harrison Reed and Kenny Tete are suspended having accumulated five yellow cards each, but Bobby Decordova-Reid served his ban last weekend and is available for selection again.
Predicted Fulham Lineup vs Man United (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno will operate in goal, hoping to produce a solid display and keep a clean sheet against Man United at the weekend.
Defence
Tim Ream will resume his centre-back partnership with Issa Diop at the heart of the backline in the Fulham lineup as they focus on keeping things tight against Ten Hag’s side during the 90 minutes.
Kenny Tete’s suspension should open the door for Decordova-Reid to come straight back into the Fulham lineup having served his own suspension.
Antonee Robinson, who conceded the penalty against Man City in stoppage time last time out, will be raring to redeem himself from the left-back spot with a big performance against the Red Devils.
Midfield
With Harrison Reed also suspended, Marco Silva will need to find a partner for Joao Palhinha in midfield in the Fulham lineup. The manager could go with Tom Cairney, whose passing range and energy could help the Cottagers dominate the midfield battles against Man United.
Nathaniel Chalobah is also a contender for the spot.
Andreas Pereira has been a key cog in Silva’s system, becoming the source of most of Fulham’s creativity. He will be raring to produce a big performance and haunt his former side on Sunday.
Attack
With Aleksandar Mitrovic set to miss out ahead of the World Cup, Silva will probably go with backup striker Carlos Vinicius up top against United in the Fulham lineup.
Willian will be hoping to enjoy a productive evening on the left, with Harry Wilson trying to deliver the goods from the other flank.
Silva will have an offensive weapon in the form of Daniel James on the bench, a player who could be hugely effective during counter-attacks against Ten Hag’s side.
