Fulham v Middlesbrough | Sunday 8th August | 1.30pm | Craven Cottage | #FULMID
The opposition
- After steering the club away from relegation danger when taking over from Jonathan Woodgate with eight games left of 2019/20, Neil Warnock oversaw a much improved campaign last year, with Boro finishing 10th in the Championship.
- Warnock has brought in five players with Championship know-how this summer, with Joe Lumley, Sammy Ameobi, Uche Ikpeazu, Lee Peltier and Matt Crooks all signing on, while he’s added some South American flair in the form of highly rated midfielder Martin Payero.
- A few Boro stalwarts have departed, with record signing Britt Assombalonga heading to Turkey on a free transfer, George Saville rejoining Millwall, and Marvin Johnson moving south to Sheffield Wednesday.
Fulham team news
Marco Silva confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Tom Cairney will not feature on the opening day, while others – including Harrison Reed – need to be assessed.
Boro team news
Ameobi is out with a knee injury, while fellow new arrival Payero’s involvement will depend on whether or not he receives international clearance in time. Hayden Coulson is isolating, and Marc Bola and Marcus Tavernier are doubts.
Matchday FAQs
Fans can familiarise themselves with matchday protocols here.
Virtual mascots
George, Joel and Sam will be flying the mascot flag on Sunday. We hope you all enjoy the day!
Weather
Things should stay dry during the game, with temperatures a mild 19 degrees.
Travel
There is no District Line service to Putney Bridge.
Player insight
Tyrese Francois knows Sunday won’t define the season, but is keen to hit the ground running nonetheless.
“There’s so many games in the Championship, but everyone wants to get off to a good start and get those three points,” he told FFCtv. “Ultimately we just want to play good football and win games.
“Middlesbrough will be a tough side, they always are. They’ve got a very experienced manager so it will be a tough game, but I’m sure we can do it.”
Pre-match quotes
“The way [Boro] play, the way they try to do things, they are strong. In that style they are really tough to beat and it’s up to us, in our way, to do what we want to do in the game, to show our quality.”
Marco Silva
Fulham Head Coach
“Of the three [relegated] teams, I probably fancy Fulham more than any of the others, with the squad they’ve got. But we’ve got a decent squad so it’ll be difficult for Fulham.”
Neil Warnock
Middlesbrough Manager
