Fulham v Chelsea | Monday 2nd October | 8pm | Craven Cottage | #FULCHE
The opposition
- It’s been a tough start to life at Stamford Bridge for new boss Mauricio Pochettino, with Chelsea only winning one of their opening six Premier League outings, losing three of them.
- They arrive at the Cottage with some momentum, though, having seen off high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
- One decision Pochettino will have to make on Monday is who will lead the line for his side, as Chelsea are currently without a recognised striker due to a combination of suspension and injuries.
Fulham team news
Saša Lukić will likely return to the matchday squad, but Kenny Tete needs assessing. Adama Traoré and Tosin remain sidelined.
Chelsea team news
Striker Nicolas Jackson picked up a fifth yellow card of the season against Aston Villa, meaning he’s suspended alongside Malo Gusto who was sent off in that game. Ben Chilwell hurt his hamstring in the Carabao Cup in midweek, so he joins the likes of Reece James, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Marcus Bettinelli, Christopher Nkunku, Trevoh Chalobah and Romeo Lavia in the treatment room. Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke could return, though.
Tickets
This match has sold out – thank you for your fantastic support!
Weather
It will be 19 degrees at kick-off, but there is a chance of rain.
Player insight
This fixture last season gave Andreas Pereira a real insight into what the SW6 derby means to supporters.
“Since I came here, I tried to understand the culture more and more,” he told FFCtv. “And especially from that night and from that win, you understand what kind of game [this is], and how passionate everyone is about it.
“So we know the importance, even coming from another team, another country, I know how important it is, and – for me – it’s exactly the same now.”
Coverage
This match will be televised live on Sky Sports, while FFCtv subscribers can listen to commentary from Gentleman Jim and Jamie Reid.
Fulham For All
We encourage a welcoming environment at Craven Cottage, and we would like everybody's matchday experience to be enjoyable. We should like to remind supporters that the Crown Prosecution Service considers the term ‘rent boy’ a homophobic slur and a hate crime. It has indicated it will take criminal action against supporters using the term, which could also result in the Football Association sanctioning the Club.
Fulham Flutter
Win prizes while supporting the Foundation by playing the Fulham Flutter!
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.
Early bird
Fans can take advantage of our early bird offers until 7.30pm! Full price reductions across all items can be viewed here.
Form
Fulham: D*LWDW
*Won on penalties
Chelsea: WLDLW
Top scorers
Fulham: Carlos Vinicius (2)
Chelsea: Nicolas Jackson, Raheem Sterling (2)
Matchday programme
Bernd Leno – the Premier League’s clean sheet king – features in the matchday programme for the visit of Chelsea.
“I really like night games, because when it's sunny, it's nice as well, but the pitch is dry. Night games, the pitch is wet, everything's a little bit quicker. It feels like… I don't want to say like Champions League, but it feels a little bit more like a Final – finals are always at night. It's just different, just a different atmosphere. I don't know why, but it's good that this game is a night game.”
Elsewhere in the programme, football historian Roger Hillier explores the career of former Fulham frontman Jim Hammond, while Portugal – who have been represented by Whites stars past and present such as Luis Boa Morte, Ivan Cavaleiro and João Palhinha – are the latest focus of ‘Euro Zone.’
You can pick up a copy of the programme on the night or online.
