Fulham early team news ahead of EFL Cup clash vs Newcastle United - 5 players missing
Fulham look to be without five players for their trip to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
Newcastle United will look to bounce back quickly from their Wear-Tyne derby defeat to Sunderland when they host Fulham in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
The Magpies went down 1-0 at the Stadium of Light thanks to a Nick Woltemade own goal. However, they have the chance to promptly put things right against Fulham as they continue the defence of their cup title.
Marco Silva’s men head to the North East off the back of a 3-2 win away at Burnley to end a two-game losing streak, but they have picked up further important victories against the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland and Wolves since the start of November - while almost completing a remarkable comeback in a 5-4 defeat at home to Man City in which they trailed 5-1 after 54 minutes. It certainly won’t be an easy match for Newcastle, but could their task be made a little more manageable by the Cottagers’ current injury situation?
Here is Fulham’s latest team news ahead of Wednesday’s showdown at St. James’ Park.
Rodrigo Muniz - Out
Rodrigo Muniz is doing individual work on the training ground, but his return is still some way off - possibly even as late as the start of February. The Brazilian striker last played against Everton on 8th November, coming off the bench but lasting just 17 minutes at Hill Dickinson Stadium before a hamstring injury forced him off again. In any event, Muniz has not enjoyed a productive season so far, registering just one goal and one assist in nine appearances across all competitions, after notching 21 goals over the last two campaigns combined.
Ryan Sessegnon - Out
Ryan Sessegnon last played in that crazy 5-4 defeat to Man City at Craven Cottage, before missing the clashes with Crystal Palace and Burnley with a hamstring problem of his own. However, his injury is not as serious as Muniz’s and we should see the Englishman back in action by the end of December - though that, of course, will be too late to face Newcastle in the EFL Cup.
Other considerations
Saturday’s win over Burnley saw Antonee Robinson return to the pitch for the first time since late September, and he completed the full 90 minutes for good measure. The US international registered 10 assists last season and is a key player for Marco Silva. However, there’s a strong chance he’ll be dropped back to the bench here to avoid overloading his body too quickly. If that happens, Timothy Castagne will likely cover at left-back, with the aforementioned Sessegnon still out.
Silva must also be careful with Raul Jimenez in the absence of Muniz. The 34-year-old has played at least 73 minutes in each of his club and country’s last seven matches, scoring against Paraguay and Sunderland, while grabbing an assist against Palace. However, at his age, it’s all too easy to succumb to injury, which would be a disaster for Fulham, given the Mexico international is their only fit and recognised centre-forward option.
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Perhaps the biggest blow to Fulham’s squad, however, comes from the Africa Cup of Nations, with Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze all jetting off to Morocco with the Nigeria squad. Players are required to arrive in North Africa on Monday, December 15th, ahead of the tournament’s start six days later, meaning the trio will be out of commission for this EFL Cup clash.