Fulham v AFC Bournemouth | Friday 3rd December 2021 | 7.45pm | Craven Cottage | #FULBOU
The opposition
- Bournemouth enjoyed a long unbeaten run at the start of the Championship season, going 15 matches without tasting defeat before Preston North End got the better of them at the Vitality Stadium a month ago.
- That loss triggered a little dip in form for the Cherries, who have now won just one of their last five outings, though that one was an impressive 4-0 triumph over Swansea City.
- They had looked set for three points at the weekend having gone 2-0 up against Coventry City, but after a straight red card for Jefferson Lerma, things began to unravel. Matt Godden stayed on his feet for once to reduce the deficit, before Todd Kane equalised in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Fulham team news
Marco Silva revealed that Nathaniel Chalobah is now back training with the team, while Tom Cairney has recovered from the illness which ruled him out of our last two matches.
Bournemouth team news
Parker said in his pre-match press conference that it’s unlikely he’ll be able to welcome any injured players back this soon. That means the Cherries could be without Gary Cahill, Lloyd Kelly, Jordan Zemura, Ben Pearson, Junior Stanislas, Robbie Brady and Adam Smith. One player who will definitely miss the trip to the capital is Jefferson Lerma, following his dismissal at the weekend.
Tickets
Match tickets for this game have now sold out. Thank you for your terrific support! A limited number of hospitality packages remain.
Arrive early
Make sure you get to the Cottage in plenty of time to enjoy our early bird refreshment offers. Available until half an hour before kick-off – as will be the case at every home game this season – fans can take advantage of subsidised prices on a number of food, alcoholic and soft drink items.
Weather
There is a chance we could have rain at the Cottage, while temperatures will be around eight degrees.
Mascots
Wishing Sophie, Freddie and Riley a very warm welcome as our virtual mascots for this fixture!
Coverage
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports. Commentary from Gentleman Jim & Jamie Reid will be available to FFCtv subscribers.
Form
Fulham: WWWDD
Bournemouth: LWLDD
Player insight
Harrison Reed is relishing the opportunity to put on another show under the Cottage lights on Friday evening.
“For me, night games are the best, especially at home,” he told FFCtv. “We seem to perform really well [in them] and the results always seem to be good.
“Friday night’s one we’re looking forward to, but it’s just another game in a tough season.
“It’s going to be a special atmosphere, I’m sure. The fans this season have been top drawer.
“Every home and away game they’ve been heard and they’ve driven us on, so I expect the same on Friday night, with a bit of an extra edge.”
Rainbow laces
Friday's match is our designated Rainbow Laces fixture, with the Captain's armband, player laces, and corner flags all adorning the rainbow colours.
Pre-match quotes
"The biggest game of the season? Definitely not. We don’t look to the game in this way. Is it a game that we want to win? Definitely yes."
Marco Silva
Fulham Head Coach
"They’re flying. They’re a very, very good side, I think we all see that. Technically a very good team, goals in their team, and a group of players that have navigated themselves out of this division numerous times."
Scott Parker
Bournemouth Head Coach
