Fulham have been handed a huge blow ahead of their Championship clash with fellow Londoners Charlton Athletic. The division’s joint top-goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic has been ruled out of the game with an ankle problem.
The Cottagers have the opportunity to close the gap on Leeds United in second place to just a solitary point but they’ll have to do it without their talismanic forward. The Serbian international is not expected to return until early February (as per Transfermarkt.co.uk).
Can Fulham continue their fine run of form without Mitrovic?
Yes
No
Worryingly, Fulham have lost each of their last six away London derbies with their last win coming away at Milwall back in April 2018 (as per BBC Sport) – a record Scott Parker will be well aware of and one he will be keen to put right.
TIF Tactics – Can Fulham cope without Mitrovic?
Aleksandar Mitrovic joined Fulham from Newcastle United for £22m after a successful loan spell at Craven Cottage and given the impact he’s had, you would have to say it’s been money well spent. The striker has scored 41 goals for the club in just 85 appearances and it’s easy to forget that he’s just 25-years-old.
With plenty of good years still ahead of him, the investment in the former Anderlecht forwards’ services was certainly a worthwhile one. An experienced international who has scored 34 goals in 54 appearances for Serbia, in Mitrovic, Parker has a top-quality player on his hands.
After Mitrovic, the club’s next highest goalscorer this season is Tom Cairney who’s scored six times; that’s a third of the strikers return and that alone highlights the player’s importance to Fulham’s promotion hopes.
It remains to be seen as to whether the Cottagers can cope without him for the next few weeks.