Team News
West Brom face something of a midfield injury crisis ahead of this evening's visit to Craven Cottage, with Steven Reid, Paul Scharner, Captain Chris Brunt and former Fulham favourite Zoltan Gera all definitely out, and winger Jerome Thomas also a doubt. More positively though for the Baggies, Peter Odemwingie, Shane Long, Gareth McAuley and Jonas Olsson are all expected to return to the starting XI after being rested in their FA Cup defeat to Norwich at the weekend.
For Fulham, the match may come too soon for Mousa Dembele to return from the hip injury sustained at Blackburn recently, Mark Schwarzer and Orlando Sa likewise. Zdenek Grygera remains long-term injured.
Both clubs’ deadline day signings, Pavel Pogrebnyak and Ryan Williams, and Liam Ridgewell and Keith Andrews, all signed too late to be eligible to take part in tonight’s proceedings.
Match stats
None of the 11 Premier League meetings between West Brom and Fulham have ended with an away win.
West Brom have scored the highest percentage of goals in the first-half of games this season (59%).
Roy Hodgson has won 34% of games with the Baggies, compared with 34% at Fulham and 35% at Liverpool and Blackburn.
West Brom have kept just one clean sheet in their last 30 Premier League away games.
Fulham have kept clean sheets in 3 of our last 4 matches against West Brom
Martin Jol’s side have won four of our last five matches at Craven Cottage (W4 D0 L1).
Form Guide
Fulham: DWWLWL Norwich City (a), drew 1-1; Arsenal (h), won 2-1; Charlton Athletic (h), won 4-0; Blackburn Rovers (a), lost 3-1; Newcastle United (h), won 5-2; Everton (a) lost 2-1
West Brom: LLWLWL Everton (h), lost 1-0; Tottenham Hotspur (a), lost 1-0; Cardiff City (h), won 4-2; Norwich City (h), lost 2-1; Stoke City (a) won 2-1; Norwich City (h), lost 2-1
Classic Fulham versus West Brom (11.02.06)
It’s almost six years to the day since Fulham recorded a comprehensive 6-1 victory over the Baggies at Craven Cottage. Braces for Heidar Helguson and substitute Collins John, either side of a Tomasz Radzinski strike, and an own goal from Curtis Davies, completed the rout for the Whites.
Played for both teams
Several players have worn the white of Fulham and the stripes of West Brom since the teams were promoted to the Premier League. Zoltan Gera will be fondly remembered in SW6 forever more after his scintillating form during our run to the UEFA Europa League Final in 2010; his goals and desire resulting in him being named Player of the Year. Zolly arrived on a free transfer from West Brom in 2008 and returned to the Hawthorns in a similar deal last summer.
Diomansy Kamara also earned the gratitude of Fulham fans after playing his part in the ‘Great Escape’ season of 2007/08, most notably for his performance against Manchester City. We were two goals down at half-time at Eastlands and mathematically relegated, only for a resurgent second 45 in which ‘Joe’ caused no end of problems for the City defence, adding to his first goal with the winner in stoppage time. Kamara was signed from the Baggies in 2007 after hitting 25 goals in 73 appearances for the Midlands side.
Finally, Fulham attracted a phenomenal Japanese following when we recruited Junichi Inamoto in 2002. The midfielder quickly became a crowd favourite during his time with the Whites, the highlight coming against Bologna in the Intertoto Cup Final when he hit a hat-trick to ensure progression to the First Round of the UEFA Cup. Inamoto went on to play 32 times for West Brom.