Fulham receive injury boost ahead of Manchester United clash at Craven Cottage

Manchester United’s trip to Craven Cottage on Sunday carries extra significance given the results either side of it.

Michael Carrick’s side head into the fixture off the back of a controversial 1-0 derby defeat to ten-man Manchester City, sandwiched between a 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah and Wednesday’s stunning 3-2 Carabao Cup collapse against Brighton having led 2-0.

United’s overall record against Fulham remains overwhelmingly dominant, having won 32 of the last 44 meetings between the sides, with Wayne Rooney the all-time leading scorer in the fixture on ten goals, ahead of Ruud van Nistelrooy on eight and Cristiano Ronaldo on seven.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham side arrive still searching for their first Premier League win of the season, though a goalless draw at Liverpool last weekend, followed by victory over West Ham in the Carabao Cup, has offered some encouragement.

Fulham will be without two senior players against United this weekend, though Ryan Sessegnon could yet return in time.

Kenny Tete will play no part under concussion protocols, joining captain Tom Cairney on the sidelines, while a late decision is expected on Ryan Sessegnon, who has missed the last two games with a groin issue.

“Tom is still recovering,” Arbeloa said in his pre-match press conference.

“Tete won’t be available, after the ball hit him in the Anfield game.”

He added, “We need to see if Sess is available for Sunday. I think he will be training with us today, and we will have to make a decision later.”

United have their own selection issues to manage before kick-off.

Carlos Baleba could be in line for his debut having arrived from Brighton with an ankle problem, while Luke Shaw is a doubt having missed the last three matches with a thigh issue, though Carrick has described there being “a chance” of both featuring.

Amad Diallo continues to be sidelined by an ankle injury sustained before the season began, and Matthijs de Ligt has not played since suffering a back injury last November, though he is now back in full training.

Manuel Ugarte remains out for a significant period after undergoing knee surgery following his World Cup injury with Uruguay, while goalkeeper Tom Heaton continues his own recovery from a hamstring problem sustained in pre-season.

With both sides carrying selection headaches into Sunday’s fixture, Craven Cottage promises to offer a stern test for two managers each searching for a response to difficult starts of their own.