Fulham v Leeds stats

Fulham boss Jean Tigana is set to bring back Edwin van der Sar, Rufus Brevett, Andy Melville, Steed Malbranque and Louis Saha after they missed the Worthington Cup tie against Spurs.

Fulham (from): Van der Sar, Taylor, Finnan, Brevett, Harley, Melville, Goma, Symons, Knight, Ouaddou, Clark, Davis, Collins, Malbranque, Goldbaek, Legwinski, Boa Morte, Saha, Hayles, Stolcers.

Robbie Fowler is likely to go straight into the Leeds, with Mark Viduka almost certain to be his partner. Alan Smith and Dominic Matteo are both doubtful with ankle and Achilles injuries.

Leeds United (from): Martyn, Kelly, Harte, Dacourt, Keane, Viduka, Kewell, Wilcox, Smith, Mills, Johnson, Matteo, Duberry, Batty, Fowler, Ferdinand, Robinson.

MOST SIGNIFICANT STATS

This is the inaugural meeting of the clubs in the Premiership, and their first opportunity to face each other for 16 years.

Fulham go into the game with a five match unbeaten run, but on the back of Thursday's Worthington Cup defeat by Tottenham.

High flying Leeds are seeking a first win in three games.

David O'Leary's side were the last to lose their unbeaten League record, but have a strong defense with an average of one goal conceded in just under each two and half hours Premiership football.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS:

All Comps: Played 41 Fulham wins 13 Leeds wins 19 Draws 9

HEAD TO HEAD NOTES:

HEAD TO HEAD NOTES:

Fulham have won three of their last four home League meetings with Leeds. The most recent was 3-1 in the old Second Division on 17 August, 1985.
The Yorkshire club's last victory at Fulham was 0-2 in the former Second Division on 30 March, 1985.

Leeds' last win in the top flight at Craven Cottage was 33 years ago, a resounding 5-0 victory in the old First Division on 6 January, 1968. That was also Leeds' biggest ever League win over the Londoners.

Fulham's last top flight victory over United was also by a 5-0 margin in the old First Division on 27 February, 1960.

FULHAM:

League position going into the weekend - 11th 18 points

Sequences

5 UNDEFEATED IN THE PREMIERSHIP [3 wins, 2 draws]

WON LAST 2 HOME LEAGUE GAMES

UNDEFEATED IN 4 HOME PREM GAMES [2 wins, 2 draws]

Recent Form

3 wins in last 5 in all competitions

1 draw in last 6

1 defeat in last 6

1 loss in last 7 Premiership matches

6 wins in 16 matches this season

4 defeats in the 16

6 games this term have ended all square

Won 4 of 13 Premiership encounters this campaign

Lost 3 of the 13

6 of the 13 League games have been drawn

Kept 5 clean sheets - all in the Prem

Failed to score 4 times - all in the Prem

Completed 3 goalless draws - all in Prem

Fulham notes:

One of seven clubs to have played in as many as three Premiership goalless draws.

Last Premiership defeat was 0-2 at Aston Villa on 14 October.

Two remaining ever presents in Steve Finnan and Steed Malbranque. Only Finnan has started all 16 of the clubs League and Cup games.

LEEDS UNITED:

League position going into the weekend - 2nd 24 points

Sequences

WITHOUT A WIN IN 2 - 1 Prem, 1 WC [1 draw, 1 loss]

NOT WON IN 2 PREMIERSHIP GAMES [1 draw, 1 loss]

GONE 7 SINCE A CLEAN SHEET

Recent Form

1 win in 4

3 defeats in last 6

1 draw in last 6

1 win in last 6 Premiership games

4 draws in last 6 League encounters

Won exactly half their games this season [10 of 20]

Lost 4 of the 20

6 of the 20 have ended all square - all 6 in Prem

Lost only 1 of 13 League games this campaign

Completed 8 clean sheets - 6 in the Prem

Failed to score 6 times - 4 in Prem

Won 19 of 32 Premier League matches in 2001

Picked up 30 points from a last possible 45

Conceded more than one goal only once in each of the last 15 top flight clashes

Conceded only 8 goals in the Premiership this season

Potential Career Milestones

Mark VIDUKA needs one strike to record 50 goals in English and Scottish League football

Robbie KEANE is a hat trick away from 50 League goals in his career

Lee BOWYER needs two goals to take his tally to 50 for Leeds

If he plays, Olivier DACOURT will be making his 100th appearance in English club football

Should he figure, Ian HARTE will be making his 200th appearance for Leeds

Leeds notes:

One of two clubs with fewest Premiership defeats - 1. The other is Chelsea.
Conceded fewest Premiership goals - 8. That's one every 146 minutes (2 hrs 26 mins).

One of two clubs to have kept as many as six Premiership clean sheets. The other is Aston Villa.

Registered the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League so far this season - 11.

One of seven clubs to have played in as many as three Premiership goalless draws.

Two ever presents in Ian Harte and Nigel Martyn and both have started all of the 20 games.

Referee: Graham Poll (Tring)