Manchester United have been handed a boost ahead of their Premier League match against Fulham at the weekend.
The Red Devils travel to Craven Cottage for their final match before the Qatar World Cup and are desperate to end this part of the season in good form.
Having lost their last league game against Aston Villa there is also a need for United to bounce back from the disappointment at Villa Park.
Fulham have exceeded expectations so far this season despite having played in England’s second tier in their last campaign.
They find themselves 9th in the table and have lost just one match at Craven Cottage.
Much of that is owed to the sensational form of Aleksander Mitrovic, who has scored nine goals in twelve appearances.
That accounts for a huge 39% share of all of Fulham’s goals this season.
But United may have had a stroke of luck ahead of the encounter, with Mitrovic a doubt.
Speaking on November 5th, Fulham boss Marco Silva had this to say:
“As you know, Mitro had a problem in the last game [for his] national team in his ankle. So, we are managing him, trying to recover as quickly as we can.
“After the last game, he felt a little bit of pain again; he’s not in a condition to be with us.”
Premier Injuries, a site that tracks the availability of players in England’s top division, ranks Mitrovic as having only a 50% chance of playing against Manchester United.
And with the World Cup on the horizon, the player himself is unlikely to want to risk his fitness ahead of Serbia’s campaign.
Should he miss the encounter, Fulham’s main threat will have been diffused and United should consider themselves very heavy favourites.
In addition, Fulham will be without Kene Tete, Harrison Reed, and Bobby De Cordova-Reid, with the trio all facing suspension after picking up five yellow cards each.
Neeskens Kebano has also been ruled out following an Achilles injury sustained in training, while Manor Solomon is a long-term absentee.
United Matchday Magazine – be in the know about everything red!
Take your seat for the Aston Villa match and join the debate on the hottest United topics!
- Get all the match build-up, articles, news, puzzles, nostalgia and humour
- Online football content like you’ve never seen before
- No ads, no clickbait, no fake news – just 100% pure United
- Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
- Click Preview to see more or buy for just £1.25/$1.50
