It’s Saint Andrew v St George as Fulham seek their first EPL double as off form Leicester arrive at Craven Cottage

Fulham seem to have forgotten how to win.

They haven’t won a league game since St. Andrew’s Day when they simultaneously secured their only away victory on league business – at Leicester.

In the ten league games since, Fulham have only lost three times against the Manchester clubs and Chelsea but have drawn the other seven. The London club’s only other win is against another Midland side in West Brom.

With no wins in ten league games, it’s easy to describe Fulham as badly out of form, yet even their detractors generally agree that their performances outmatch their results.

In fact, the biggest source of concern among their fan base is not performances or results but their sluggish activity in the transfer window. They failed to snatch Bournemouth’s Joshua King after Everton beat them to the signing.

Fulham manager Scott Parker noted:

“Deadline day brings drama. I’m very pleased with the signing of Josh [Maja]. He’s young with big potential and he’s a good finisher. We tried to do other bits but competing with Everton was a challenge.”

They did add former Academy graduate Josh Maja on loan from Bordeaux, adding striker perhaps but troublingly another loan player.

Parker told the Fulham website:

“I’m certainly very pleased with the signing of Josh,” he said in his press conference on Tuesday. “I think he probably falls into the line of the sort of business we’ve done this year in terms of young talent with big potential, someone we can develop.

“He’s a very good finisher, and I think it was clear that we needed to try and strengthen in that area. We’ve got Aleks [Mitrović] in our squad, but he’s our only real recognised centre-forward, so I’m very pleased.

“Hopefully Josh comes in and we can really push him on. He scored a lot of goals at Sunderland, and that’s the main thing.”

Maja has not played for a while so is unlikely to feature tonight.

Definitely not featuring against Leicester are Aboubakar Kamara, Neeskens Kebano and Maxime Le Marchand who are out on loan to Dijon, Middlesbrough, and Antwerp, respectively.

Leicester are not a form side either and one of their absentees will make a difference to the potential outcome claims Prost’s Midlands-based writer Kyle Curran. You may think Jamie Vardy or James Maddison is the key, but Curran disagrees:

“Leicester without Wilfred Ndidi is like toast without butter. It’s not great, but it’s doable.

The Nigerian is that important to the visitors’ midfield. The way he wins the ball back whilst making it look simple is breathtaking at times. However, they do have Nampalys Mendy to step in for the injured defensive midfielder.

“Mendy isn’t a bad replacement but he is no Ndidi. With Mendy standing at just 5’6 and Ndidi at 6’0, the extra height on the Nigeria international adds a powerful presence.

“Mendy is a great work horse for the team, however he can be scared to go forward (reminiscent of the Claude Puel days), whereas Brendan Rodgers is completely opposite in terms of style of play.

“Mendy has been getting better in recent matches with playing the ball forward. Unfortunately the Frenchman struggled to have an impact against Leeds United this past Sunday afternoon, barely got an inch on any of the strong and aggressive Leeds players.”

In every game Leicester have lost this season, Ndidi wasn’t in the squad, seven in total. six of them in the league and one in the Carabao Cup.

But they have a bigger issue. Their form against the bottom sides does not live up to their billing. They need the opponent to play into their hands according to Curran.

“Leicester often struggle against teams that sit deep, the likes of Fulham and West Ham. Teams that have beaten the Foxes at the King Power Stadium this season. Leicester’s traditional style of play, sit back and attack a team who sit with a high line.

“Penetrating on the counter attack, for example, in Leicester’s remarkable 5-2 win against Manchester City earlier on in the season. Likewise, another terrific away victory against Spurs saw them attacking the Tottenham high line and making use of the big pitch.

“No Leicester manager in recent years has really cracked the code of playing against a low block. It’s a big difference in the way the Foxes play the games out.”

Team News

Neither Tom Cairney or Terence Kongolo will be available and more interest might focus on who replaces Kamara and Kebano on the bench.

As well as Ndidi, out with a thigh injury, Rodgers will not be able to call on Vardy (groin and hip), Dennis Praet (thigh), Timothy Catsagne (thigh) and Wes Morgan (back).

Wesley Fofana had a hamstring issue but can’t be totally ruled out.

History

Fulham lead the series 40-28 with 17 draws and are unbeaten in the last five at Craven Cottage.

The Filberts’ last win on the banks of the Thames was on St. George’s Day 1983 when Ian Wilson scored the only goal.

Unless the game is drawn, one side will have a saintly reason to celebrate.