The only sides with worse defences than Liverpool meet at Craven Cottage

There are four teams yet to win a game in this year’s Premier League. Two of them, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, meet at Craven Cottage on Monday night.

The pressure is probably more on Scott Parker’s Fulham, who are the home side and have already burned up some of the fixtures more perceived as winnable.

The two sides have the joint second worst defensive record in the division, with bizarrely only league leaders Liverpool conceding more goals.

With Crystal Palace, Wolves, Sheffield United, Leeds and Aston Villa already played, Fulham have already played five games against sides where they would hope to add to their total. They picked up just one point from the 15 available.

West Brom have played Leicester, Everton, Southampton, Burnley and Burnley and still also seek their first win, but they have drawn three.

To their astonishment, Fulham can actually escape the drop zone with a win on Monday night, quite an unusual fact given some bookmakers have already paid out on their relegation.

The Cottagers have a lengthy  injury list going into Monday night.

Neeskens Kebano, Josh Onomah, Terence Kongolo and Kenny Tete are out. Joachim Andersen is said to be 50/50 with an ankle knock. Aboubakar Kamara is suspended.

Sam Field, Hal Robson-Kanu are out but Dara O’Shea may be fit and available for selection for the Baggies.

The two sides met in the Championship last year with both matches ending in draws, actually their third and fourth draws in succession.

The Baggies’ stretch without a win goes back nine games and a decade since Youssef Mulumbu and Marc Antoine Fortuné netted for the West Midlands side in a 2-1 win.

Since then Fulham have won three and drawn six of their encounters. West Brom lead the all time series 36-27 however.

Fulham will be parading many of their new signings

Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, centre back Tosin Adarabioyo, right back Ola Aina, American left back Antonee Robinson, central midfielder Mario Lemina, forward Ruben Loftus-Cheek and winger Ademola Lookman are among seven in contention for starting places who didn’t start the opening fixture with Arsenal.

Harrison Reed might just pip Lemina in central midfield.

Aleksandar Mitrovic for now is likely to survive the cull but he has now gone four top-flight starts without a goal. The feeling that he is the first name is on the team sheet and an immutable presence is slowly receding.

For Baggies coach Slaven Bilic, the saga surrounding the departure of Ahmed Hegazi was an irritant. Former Chelsea regular Branislav Ivanovic has impressed and his battle with former colleague Loftus-Cheek might be absorbing.

Kamil Grosicki’s move to struggling Nottingham Forest did not materialise and he has been added to West Brom’s 25-man squad.

Grady Diangana is a threat and Bilic would be justified in keeping most of the players who performed adequately in getting that point against Brighton.

Kick off is at 5.30 p.m.

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