Fulham and Arsenal will go head-to-head in the Premier League at Craven Cottage on Saturday evening, with the Gunners keen to extend their lead at the top of the table.
Both sides have some injury concerns heading into the game, and this is how GIVEMESPORT expect the teams to line up.
Fulham Team News
The Cottagers are likely to be without left-back Antonee Robinson for the game after he was unable to feature on international duty due to a knee problem.
Rodrigo Muniz and Raul Jimenez both missed the Bournemouth game with injuries but the Mexican could return, while Kenny Tete and Sasa Lukic are long-term absentees.
Silva Drops Team News Update
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Silva shared an update on his squad ahead of the game.
“Kenny (Tete) is recovering, but still not at that level yet. Chukwueze came out of the last game for Nigeria, and today, he went for a [calf] scan. It doesn’t look really, really serious, but the reality is, he came out.
“Yes, he [Robinson] was called up for the national team. The last few weeks, he was getting better… but the information we got, I think he had two or three sessions, and of course, in the third or fourth one, he was not able to train.
“The number of injuries is not good for us at the moment. We are in a worse situation than before.
“[Robinson] is out, (Sasa) Lukic is out, 1-2 weeks, but let’s see. Muniz is out [but] running on the grass. Probably, Chukwueze is out. Kenny (Tete) and Raul (Jimenez) are doubts – we are not sure about them for tomorrow.”
Fulham Predicted XI
With the team struggling with injury issues, Silva could look to reshuffle the pack slightly and bring Alex Iwobi back into the midfield, which could see Emile Smith Rowe afforded a rare start alongside a returning Rodrigo Muniz in attack.
That could see £205,000-a-week duo Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez benched alongside summer signing Kevin.
Arsenal Team News
The Gunners will be without playmaker and captain Martin Odegaard for around six weeks after he suffered a knee ligament injury early on against West Ham, while Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus are long-term absentees.
| Arsenal Injuries and Suspensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Injury | Potential Return Date |
| Gabriel Jesus | Knee | 03/01/2026 |
| Martin Odegaard | Knee | 23/11/2025 |
| Kai Havertz | Knee | 23/11/2025 |
| Noni Madueke | Knee | 23/11/2025 |
| Piero Hincapie | Groin | 18/10/2025 |
Arteta Drops Team News Update
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta shared an update on his squad ahead of the game.
“It will be weeks. There’s no definite date for his [Odegaard] return, but he’s evolving well.
“It’s very unlucky what’s happened to him and his injuries this season, but I think he will be back in a few weeks. We’ll have to see how he progresses, how the knee’s healing, and how he manages after the next steps in his rehab.
“All players come from different countries, with different amounts of games and minutes played. We believe that [sitting Zubimendi out] was the right thing to do. He played two games again. His load has been really high recently, and he needed an extra day, but he will be available.
“[White] is very similar. We are monitoring all the players and giving a specific menu to each of them to make sure that they are in the best condition.
“He [Hincapie] will be training today again with us and if everything is right, he will be available as well. He’s a player who is going to help us a lot, he’s going to bring something different to the team. We need to get him going, get to the speed that is necessary to compete at this level and gradually get him to where we want.
“Noni is getting closer. He’s going to start very soon to do some running and stuff and then again, let’s see how that reacts.
“Kai is very difficult, there’s still a lot to do in his rehab. He’s really pushing it. We know Kai and that’s why we love him so much, but we have to wait and see.
“I think we are doing really good work with him again. He wants to break every timeline I’m sure, but that’s why we have to protect him and make sure that when he comes back, he comes back long term.”
Arsenal Predicted XI
- Arsenal Predicted XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Eze, Martinelli; Gyokeres.
- Arsenal Predicted Substitutes: Kepa (GK), Hincapie (DEF), White (DEF), Lewis-Skelly (DEF), Mosquera (DEF), Merino (MID), Norgaard (MID), Nwaneri (MID), Trossard (FWD).
The Gunners are likely to push forward with a familiar looking lineup, which should see Eberechi Eze starting in the number ten role in place of the injured Odegaard.
It’s also likely that £350,000-a-week duo Mikel Merino and Ben White will be on the bench, despite the Spaniard scoring in the international break.
