Fulham

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Burnley at Craven Cottage (kick-off 15:00).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Silva started off with some team news: "Emile Smith Rowe has been back in training in the first days of week. Him and Kenny Tete we have to make decisions. Tete got a knock on his finger and foot. Let's see."

• When asked for on update on Kevin, who has been out with a metatarsal injury, Silva said: "It's difficult to say, he's been positive. We don't want to rush him. We can't confirm his season is over."

• Silva had "zero comments" on PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi, who has arrived in London for a medical as Fulham close in on a reported £28.5m deal.

• On hoping to win their first League match in three on Saturday: "All the games are becoming even more crucial. We want to be back in winning ways at the Cottage. We want to enjoy a good result at home, with our fans behind us. It's important to go into the break with a different mood, for us, for our fans."

• He added: "Of course, it's not that the win now gets you more points than in the past, it's because you don't have a long time to recover from some things that you do well or not so well. And that is the main thing for us."

• When asked about losing players to international duty, he said: "Even if we are going to have a short number of players with us because of the international duties, it's very important for us to go into the international break with a different mood, lift the mood between ourselves, our fans, to face what is going to come after."

• On the fact he has been in charge at Fulham for nearly five years: "I'm very proud. It shows something. It's been a long time, a very enjoyable time, you don't feel the time going, which means it's been an enjoyable period. We have to be pleased with the journey so far."

• He commented on Calvin Bassey speaking highly of him in a recent interview: "The way the player [Bassey] answered those questions, his answers were perfect. I like that they think that way about me."

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The Football Association have charged Fulham boss Marco Silva with misconduct for comments made after the Premier League defeat by West Ham on Wednesday, 4 March.

Silva was critical of referee Matt Donohue and the VAR team, who made several controversial decisions including overturning a Fulham penalty after consulting the pitchside monitor.

It is alleged Silva "acted in an improper manner by making comments in a post-match interview that imply bias and/or question integrity and/or are personally offensive in relation to a match official".

He has until Monday, 23 March to provide a response.

Fair play to Clarets boss Scott Parker. His side are going to go down, but they have remained competitive over the past few weeks and shown they are capable of getting something in matches whether they are home or away.

I don't see them getting anything here, however. Fulham's form is patchy but I've seen enough of them this season to know they are a good team on their day, when they click.

Marco Silva's side are a team I always seem to get wrong when I make my predictions but if they play the way they can, they will win.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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We are getting to the stage of the season where every Premier League team is managing injuries in their squad as the sheer volume and intensity of games begins to take its toll.

But who has been most affected by injuries across the campaign so far?

Ben Dinnery, from Premier Injuries Limited, has provided the data below, showing the number of domestic injuries each top-flight team has suffered, defined by a player missing at least one Premier League game.

The data has been taken from the opening weekend up to and including 18 March.

Despite this table listing domestic injuries, it is unsurprising that the top three of Arsenal, Chelsea and Aston Villa have all competed in European competition, with the Gunners still fighting on four fronts and the Blues also coming off the back of a much-shortened pre-season following their Club World Cup victory.

Perhaps more surprisingly, however, is the fact Arsenal's 31 domestic injuries so far comfortably leads the way, illustrating the strength and depth available to Mikel Arteta to still have his side nine points clear at the top of the table.

The graphic below shows Tottenham lead the way for days missed by injured players, illustrating the issues faced by Thomas Frank, who had to cope with long-term absentees including Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.

Both West Ham and Brentford are in the bottom three for domestic injuries and days missed through those injuries, while Arsenal and Villa are in the top three for both.

Chelsea drop down the table when looking at days missed, showing they have predominately suffered from short absences spread throughout the squad.

It is worth pointing out that Newcastle's two longest absences this season - Emil Krafth (120 days) and Yoane Wissa (88 days), who had not yet even trained with his new side, resulted from injuries picked up on international duty and are not factored into the figures.

Fulham have reached a verbal agreement to sign 23-year-old United States forward Ricardo Pepi from PSV Eindhoven, with personal terms also agreed. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Drew Heatley
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

It is still a little chilly outside to be on the beach, but Fulham seem to manage it earlier each year.

It could be worse, of course. Having virtually nothing to play for means you are not scrapping for every point at the bottom of the table. And all Fulham fans are thankful for that.

But it does mean there is little sense of jeopardy going into games now - and there is a general feeling that we just need to wrap this campaign up and start looking towards next season.

Sunday's game against Nottingham Forest felt like that - from a Fulham fan's perspective at least. Forest are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the league, but we arrived at the City Ground with little to aim for.

Seventh - and Europe - is mathematically possible, but it would take a huge uptick in form with some tough fixtures on the horizon.

And the scoreline - a goalless draw - reflected the inertia among Fulham fans.

It is our topsy-turvy form that has kept us at the back of the pack racing for Europe. Four wins and five losses since our last league draw tells the story perfectly.

But perhaps more worryingly, we are without a goal in three games.

A win against Burnley next weekend would no doubt reignite talk of the Europa League or Conference League, but with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal coming up, and a west London derby against seventh-placed Brentford in the middle of it all, we have a mountain to climb.

It may all be unlikely, but we are all still dreaming that Fulham swap this trip to the seaside for some midweek jaunts to Europe.

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

Nottingham Forest fans

Steve: Another weekend where we failed to capitalise on other results. It's going to be a scrap to the final day. VAR is killing football- the joy of that goal wiped out. Onto Denmark for what I hope isn't our last EL game but we all know Spurs is the bigger game.

Luke: At this point in the season we are what we are. A team who plays well but struggles to score, and therefore won't win often. That's what we were today. You can still look at this performance and use it to suggest we'll pick up 8-10 points over the last 8 games. But our chances to do so are diminishing. Next week is huge.

Marc: Another dismal and disappointing result. Completely devoid of creativity and intensity. No real desire to make something happen to in the final few minutes. Must play the back up players in Europa League as for some reason our players have a lack of energy to play at tempo that is going to challenge opponents for 90 minutes despite having no domestic cup run. Another uninspired managerial appointment.

David: We have to find our goal scorers and asap. We are playing with fire, and we all know what's going to happen. Oh, and VAR has to go!

Fulham fans

Gerry: Typical mid season mediocrity from Fulham. Another season that promised much but that again has petered out into dull, predictable football.

Malcolm: Much better performance all round, more effort and a solid line up.

Tim: Classic Fulham going into our shells around March, Marco ruined all momentum with silly changes against West Ham and Southampton, and now we're suffering with another lacklustre performance.

Phil: Poor. Not sharp enough. Have the players booked their summer holidays already?

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 0-0 Leeds

• Manchester United 3-1 Aston Villa

• Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham

• Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham

Fulham boss Marco Silva, speaking to Sky Sports after the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest: "First half was very balanced. We had one great chance from a wide free-kick. It probably needed a goal from one team or the other to open up. The first half wasn't very quick. The second half was more broken. It was very windy."

On keeping a clean sheet: "It was good. We knew it would be a tough game, even if they are in a position that doesn't reflect the individual quality that they have. The ability they have up front is at a very good level. We play to win games, it is our way but some games are very tight. It is important for us to keep the feeling of the clean sheet being positive.

"We were close to the three points. My approach is always the same, we didn't win, we got the point. Next week we have another game and we want to be back to winning ways at home before we go to the international break.

On talking with Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira post-match: "With him and his staff. The people that we know are trying their best, like we are trying our best. It is always good to see familiar faces."

Did you know?

• Fulham have ended their run of 11 Premier League matches without a clean sheet, becoming the 20th and final Premier League team to record a clean sheet in 2026.

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, PA Media

Last weekend's FA Cup fifth-round defeat by Championship club Southampton left Fulham with one solitary objective this season - to secure qualification for European competition next term.

They are among a group of clubs tightly packed on the fringe of the top six, with Brentford in seventh and 14th-placed Crystal Palace separated by only five points.

If Fulham are to compete on the continent for the first time in more than a decade, they will need to improve their inconsistent results in the closing weeks of the campaign.

The stalemate at Nottingham Forest was their first league draw since 4 January. During the intervening period, they won four and lost five of their nine league fixtures.

They were in the game throughout but struggled to create clear opportunities after Calvin Bassey failed to convert his first-half chance, heading straight at Matz Sels from six yards.

The visitors remained resolute at the other end, though, to ensure they clinched a point.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Nottingham Forest's performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Nottingham Forest make three changes from the side that lost in the Europa League to Midtjylland on Thursday - Neco Williams, Nikola Milenkovic and Ibrahim Sangare replace Morato, Jair Cunha and Omari Hutchinson.

Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Jesus.

Subs: Gunn, Morato, Awoniyi, Ndoye, Hutchinson, Yates, McAtee, Netz, Bakwa.

There are nine changes to the Fulham starting XI that was knocked out of the FA Cup last weekend by Southampton. Joachim Andersen and Oscar Bobb are the two players to keep their places.

Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Iwobi, Berge, Wilson, King, Bobb, Jimenez.

Subs: Lecomte, Reed, Muniz, Cairney, Chukwueze, Lukic, Castagne, Sessegnon, Diop

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Crystal Palace v Leeds - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Man Utd v Aston Villa - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Liverpool v Tottenham (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-offs 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Crystal Palace v Leeds" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Spurs", for instance.

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This is a huge game for Nottingham Forest.

They got a good draw against Manchester City last time out, but what they need is a win - I know I keep pointing this out, but Forest boss Vitor Pereira still hasn't won a Premier League game this season, after 11 attempts with them and Wolves.

This is a great chance for Forest to put that right, but I don't think they will take it.

You just don't know what you are going to get from Fulham but they can play with a bit of freedom here.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest take on a Fulham side seeking to avoid a third straight defeat. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday's match (14:00 GMT).

Anderson key to Forest's survival hopes

Nottingham Forest remain winless under Vitor Pereira following Thursday's 1-0 defeat by Midtjylland. The Reds spurned a host of chances against the Danes, failing to build on the momentum from last week's 2-2 draw at Manchester City, which gave them their first league point under the new head coach.

Pereira said his team showed "lots of personality" in twice hitting back from a goal down against City and praised his players for keeping their shape and "waiting for the right moments to hurt" Pep Guardiola's men.

Forest have lacked cutting edge this season, with their tally of 28 goals the second lowest in the top flight. Last year's top scorer, Chris Wood, has missed most of the campaign with a knee injury and while his replacement, Igor Jesus, has shown promise in the cups, he has scored just twice in the league.

Goals will, therefore, need to come from elsewhere, and it was Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson who stepped up at Etihad Stadium.

Anderson has not been a regular goalscorer for Forest, netting four times in 66 Premier League appearances for the club, but he has earned plaudits for his all-round game, particularly his crisp passing. He has made 303 line-breaking passes – forward balls that bypass the opposition's midfield or defensive line to find a team-mate in space. That is more than any other midfielder in the Premier League this season.

Fulham look to rebound against favourite opposition

After back-to-back home defeats by West Ham and Southampton, Fulham need a swift response to stop their season petering out. That was their fate last year, when a disappointing FA Cup loss to Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage was followed by six losses in their final nine league games, scuppering any hopes of challenging for Europe.

Head coach Marco Silva admitted his side simply were not good enough in Sunday's cup exit to Championship side Southampton and had to defend his decision to make nine changes to the starting line-up.

The good news for Fulham is key man Harry Wilson could return after missing the previous two games, while the Whites can also take heart from their excellent record in this fixture. The Cottagers have won six of the seven Premier League meetings between the sides, including a 1-0 victory when they met on 22 December.

Raul Jimenez scored the winner from the penalty spot on that occasion and has regularly been a thorn in Forest's side. The Mexican has registered four goals and an assist in four previous appearances against Sunday's opponents.

Grace Wheeler
BBC Sport

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at The City Ground (kick-off 14:00).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Silva updated us on team news, stating: "Harry Wilson is going to be in contention for the game, we have another session and we do have to assess him again."

• He added: "We have some doubts if one player will be ready for the game but we don't want to mention who yet."

• Fulham striker Raul Jimenez trained on Friday despite the recent death of his father. Silva said: "It is really sad news and a moment for us to support him. He knows what he needs from myself, from team-mates, staff and the football club, he will get all of the support he needs."

• The boss offered comments on the fans' reaction at the end of Fulham's last game: "The fans react. I am not concerned about their faith because everything we have done in this football club is clear and the ambition is there."

• He added: "You are going to get more than boos. They were not happy and that is why I stayed longer on the pitch and that was a moment for us to be seen. I think we deserved the boos. If I was in the stand, I would do the same."

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Drew Heatley
Fan writer

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We really are our own worst enemy.

You can point to a number of potential reasons for Fulham meekly surrendering their place in the FA Cup.

Was it the nine changes Marco Silva made to the starting XI? Not for me. Modern football is a squad game; each and every player that started on Sunday was more than capable of turning over second-tier opposition.

Were we wasteful? Undoubtedly. More than two-thirds of the ball and 24 shots, but we did little with it against a Southampton side that was as industrious as it was resolute, and that was more up for it on the day.

Do we have a mental block? Quite possibly. We had the opener chalked off early on, and not for the first time this season, we failed to turn the sense of injustice into fuel.

Whatever the reason, the Whites find their season all-but over with more than two months left to go.

We sit on the mythical 40-point mark. We are four points off Brentford in seventh, which is widely believed to be enough for the Europa Conference League. But after games against relegation-battling duo of Nottingham Forest and Burnley this month, five of our final seven games are against teams above us in the top half of the table. It feels like a tough task.

All of which leads me to wonder if this really is the end of Marco Silva's time at the club. He will not want to out-stay his welcome and taint his incredible five-year stay, during which he took us from yo-yo club to top-half challengers.

And with murmurings of discontent after our cup exit, that possibility feels more concrete that it did a few weeks ago.

It could lead to an era-shifting summer. Let's hope we don't self-sabotage if it is.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish, external

This is your Fulham page. Bookmark it and come back each day for gossip, news, stats, analysis and fan comment.

We asked for your views on Sunday's FA Cup fifth round defeat by Southampton.

Here are some of your comments:

Richard: Silva should have put out his strongest team but opted instead to make eight changes from the poor display against West Ham including plumping for a slow midfield of Cairney and Reed both of whom were ineffective. Southampton created more clear cut chances and deserved to win on the day. Huge opportunity missed for Fulham to advance to the sixth round. The guile and craft of Wilson was badly missed.

John: All down to team selection. Why not field the normal first team? We do not have a match until next Sunday and the FA Cup was our main chance to win a trophy since a European place is unlikely. In my opinion the manager must take the blame due to poor team selection.

Kevin: I would suggest, not based solely on the last two performances, that Silva has taken the team as far as he can. We are becoming perennial bottlers. We get some hope of trophy success or European qualification, only to fall away at the business end of the season. One team wanted FA Cup success today and it didn't look like us at any stage!

Martin: Get played all over the pitch, bring on Josh King to play against defenders far bigger and stronger than him then only even consider attacking subs when we go 1-0 down. Says it all really.

Paul: Took an average opposition team for granted and looked second best all afternoon. Sat next to Harry Wilson in the posh seats - he had his head in his hands most of the second half. Marco too slow to make changes and pick up the pace - for the second second time this week.

Glen: A second toothless performance at home within five days against a weaker opposition. Becoming a bit of a seasonal tradition. As much as I'm thankful to Marco for everything he's done these last few years, again I'm left frustrated by his tactics and reluctance to make subs earlier. He may have taken us as far as he can.

Norman: Why did Silva make so many changes? We were going nowhere in the league. We were not in danger of going down. Why not play your strongest team in the cup?! Also, he took much too long to make changes in the match. Crazy!

Former Southampton striker Billy Sharp has been speaking about Fulham's FA Cup defeat by the Saints on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

He said: "I think Fulham will be really disappointed.

"It happens. It is a game of football, 90 minutes.

"Sometimes when the levels have dropped and the other team maybe wants it a little bit more, it happens.

"But that's why we love football and that's why the FA Cup is still magic."

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