With the November international break done and dusted, Fulham will resume their Premier League duties on Saturday when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Craven Cottage.
The Cottagers are enjoying a fine 2024/25 campaign thus far, having shown a considerable level of improvement from last year. They are currently seventh in the Premier League table and harbour serious hopes of pushing for a European spot.
Marco Silva’s side have beaten their London rivals Brentford and Crystal Palace in previous back-to-back games. They will be aiming to make it three wins on the bounce by beating Wolves, who lie 19th in the league table.
Fulham Team News
Fulham have a clean bill of health barring Sasa Lukic, who is out until late November with a shoulder injury, and Harrison Reed who will undergo surgery.
Both Raul Jimenez and Andreas Pereira will return late from international duty given time zone differences, so Marco Silva will have a decision to make on the South American duo ahead of the game.
Predicted Fulham lineup vs Wolves (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno has been a reliable presence in goal for Fulham over the last two seasons. There is no reason why the German should not start the game against Wolves.
Defence
In front of Leno, the Cottagers are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 shape. Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will operate as the full-backs, providing width, energy and creative impetus going forward. They will also have to help out the centre-backs Calvin Bassey and Joachim Andersen when defending Wolves’ quick transitions.
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Ryan Sessegnon, Timothy Castagne and Issa Diop will offer valuable backup in defence from the bench.
Midfield
Andreas Pereira was an unused substitute in Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay in the World Cup Qualifiers on Wednesday morning, so he should be fit and fresh to start on Saturday. The Brazilian will form the double pivot with Sander Berge in the middle of the park, with the duo tasked with controlling the flow of the game.
Summer signing from Arsenal, Emile Smith Rowe has undoubtedly been Fulham’s best player so far this season. He has brought guile, dynamism and creativity to the side, making him a no-brainer to start in the No.10 role in the Fulham lineup.
Attack
Despite scoring three goals in the last two games, Harry Wilson is expected to continue his role as a ‘super sub’. This means Silva will stick to Alex Iwobi and Reiss Nelson as his team’s wide attackers.
Raul Jimenez played 89 minutes and scored for Mexico in the 4-0 win over Honduras in the Concacaf Nations League fixture on Wednesday. A quick turnaround time may see Silva go with Rodrigo Muniz up top in the Fulham lineup instead of Jimenez on Saturday.
Jimenez, Wilson, Tom Cairney and Adama Traore will be strong options to bring off the bench against Gary O’Neil’s side.
