Nigeria winger is injury doubt for Arsenal clash

By Ed Emeanua

Fulham winger Samuel Chukwueze is a major injury doubt for Saturday’s clash with Arsenal, even as Cottagers boss Marco Silva is upbeat despite likely depletion of his team by injuries.

Silva’s Fulham hosts league table-toppers Arsenal amidst a rising injury problem at Craven Cottage likely to rule out six major players.

Chukwueze sustained a calf injury on international duty with Nigeria against Benin and is among Silva’s soldiers likely to be sidelined against Mikel Arteta’s “Gunners”.

Saša Lukić, Rodrigo Muniz and Antonee Robinson will all be unavailable, but Chukwueze, Raúl Jiménez and Kenny Tete are doubts for Saturday’s fixture in south-west London.

“It’s the reality for us. We cannot change it,” Silva stated in his presser ahead of the Arsenal game.

“It’s up to us, our medical staff and our rehabilitation group to get them ready as quickly as they can because we need them.

“If you have all your players available, you’re going to be stronger. If you don’t have key players – not just one or two – you’re not at the same level. But it’s not going to be an excuse for us. We have to move on and we have to go.

“Of course, we cannot hide. When we’re talking about a player like Robinson, for example, you know the impact that he’s had in the last two or three seasons in all aspects of the game.

Marco Silva and Mikel Arteta pre-match at the Cottage

“Kenny is a key player for us, as you know. Every time he’s ready and at his best, he’s a key player in the way we want to play. And Saša Lukić has been one of the best players so far in the beginning of the season for us.

“I think we’re at a moment in the season where things are coming all at the same time. It is what it is.

“What I can say about Arsenal is that they have a very, very good squad. I think it’s shown in the way they’ve started the season and the way they’ve been playing.

“But the reality is that we have been very tough for Arsenal to play against and we want to show up and show that we are capable of competing, even without five or six players that have been very important for us.

“The reality is that before we started getting results against them, the story of Fulham Football Club for probably the last 10 or 15 years was that almost all the games were wins for Arsenal.

“In the last four games, for example, you see a really competitive side against them. It’s a different moment of the season for us in terms of not having our full capacity, but we want to compete at our best level.

“We don’t want to find excuses. With our fans, we need them definitely at their top level too because in these types of moments, we have to show the togetherness and connection even more.

“The players are going to need the 12th player at Craven Cottage.”