Fulham hosts Everton on Saturday in a matchup of two sides aiming to qualify for Europe, in some capacity, next season. Both are only five points outside the top six, and six points off the pace for the top five, so they’re definitely in the thick of it. Both teams have a very short injury list right now too.
Fulham only have three injury concerns right now: new January transfer window addition Oscar Bobb, Sasa Lukic and Rodrigo Muniz. All of them are currently dealing with thigh injuries.
Everton at Fulham
Kickoff: Saturday, Feb 7, 3pm, Craven Cottage, London, UK
Google Result Probability: Everton win 26% Draw 29% Fulham win 45%
Premier League Standing: Everton 10th, 34 pts Fulham 9th, 34 pts
Team News for Both Sides
Let’s start with Bobb, the former Manchester City man.
“Probably too soon,” said manager Marco Silva at his weekly Friday news conference, ahead of last weekend’s fixture, a 3-2 loss at Manchester United.
“Now it is up to us to make sure he is in the best physical condition he can be, because I’m sure he is going to be a very good signing for the football club.”
Maybe he makes his Fulham debut here? Put him in the 50/50 kind of category for this weekend; ditto for Muniz.
“Rodrigo is around the team already, but too soon to be in contention,” said Silva. “Let’s hope we have good news next week.”
As for Lukic, his return won’t likely come until later on in the month.
Shifting gears to Everton, Vitalii Mykolenko missed out on the score draw with Brighton, due to what manager David Moyes labeled a knock. He faces a late fitness in order to make the matchday squad here.
And then of course, you have Jack Grealish- his season could be done. Moyes said on Friday that the on loan from Manchester City winger could require surgery to repair his injured foot, and if that is the case, his year would be done.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.