Fulham v Brentford | Saturday 19th August | 3pm | Craven Cottage | #FULBRE
The opposition
- Brentford are now without two previous staples at either end of the pitch, with striker Ivan Toney currently banned from all football activity, while goalkeeper David Raya has signed on loan with Arsenal.
- The Bees played out an entertaining opener at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, proving they can play without Toney as forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa both found the net, but they had to settle for a 2-2 draw in the end.
- Recent history would suggest Saturday’s derby will be one for the neutrals, too, with our last three meetings with Brentford ending 3-2. Two of those have gone in our favour, with Aleksandar Mitrović grabbing a dramatic winner at the Cottage almost a year ago to the day, while we also won by that scoreline in our opening Summer Series match out in the States.
Fulham team news
Marco confirmed that João was back fit and ready to be involved in the game in some capacity, whilst Mitro will be unavailable due to an injury he received in last week's game at Everton.
Brentford team news
Despite concerns over Mathias Jensen, Thomas Frank confirmed that the midfielder will start in the derby. His midfield compatriot Frank Onyeka is also available and Ben Mee will undergo tests on Saturday morning on a calf injury suffered during pre-season.
Tickets
Fans can still pick up tickets for Saturday's derby.
Season Ticket cards
Supporters sitting in the Riverside Stand should have received a new Season Ticket card in the post, while fans who have changed seats, moved age categories or bought a brand new Season Ticket, will also have received a new card. All other supporters would have their previous Season Ticket cards rolled over for the 2023/24 season.
Weather
A lovely day is forecast in SW6, with the sun out and temperatures around 24 degrees.
Player insight
Bobby De Cordova-Reid wants Fulham to make Craven Cottage a fortress again this season.
“We want to make life difficult for any team that comes to the Cottage,” he told FFCtv. “We did that last year, and we want to continue to do so. That starts with high energy, high pressure, and a willingness to run for each other. The crowd’s support obviously helps us, and we’ll try our best to get the three points.”
Coverage
FFCtv subscribers can listen to commentary from Gentleman Jim and Jamie Reid.
Fulham Flutter
Win prizes while supporting the Foundation by playing the Fulham Flutter!
Wandsworth Bridge closure
Fans are reminded that Wandsworth Bridge is currently closed and to plan their route to the Cottage accordingly.
Bag policy
Bags larger than A4 in size will not be permitted entry to the stadium. Please see our bag policy for full details, and information on our left luggage facility.
Form
Fulham: W
Brentford: D
Top scorers
Fulham: Bobby De Cordova-Reid (1)
Brentford: Bryan Mbuemo, Yoane Wissa (1)
Matchday programme
Now in his ninth season at Craven Cottage, skipper Tom Cairney is the subject of the matchday programme main interview for the visit of Brentford, stating: "Nine years is a long time in football and it's testament to how settled and happy I am here to be in my ninth season. I feel honoured to have been at a club like for Fulham for that long."
John Fraser, who made 65 appearances for Fulham between 1971 and 1976 and later played 131 matches for Brentford, features in our former player article 'The Ex-Files'. Harry Wilson puts together his best five-a-side team based on players he has come up against over the years and journalist Dean Jones pens his latest column.
Furthermore, the Official Fulham FC Sticker Collection will be launched on Saturday, with a sticker album and the first four stickers of the season included with the Brentford programme. Four stickers will be issued with every Premier League programme this season, with a total of 76 stickers up for grabs over the course of the campaign!
