TEAM NEWS
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has returned to training after injury but will not feature on Tuesday. Fulham have no fresh injury concerns but Aboubakar Kamara remains suspended indefinitely by the club following an incident at the training ground.
Brighton’s first-choice goalkeeper Mat Ryan is available for the first time since Boxing Day after returning from the Asian Cup.
Defender Leon Balogun has overcome the illness that ruled him out on Saturday.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
@Mark_Scott_: It has been a tough 2019 for Fulham, with their four straight defeats this month including an FA Cup exit to Oldham and a painful late loss against Tottenham last time out.
Claudio Ranieri’s comments about the Cottagers “continuing to fight” after the Spurs game were then taken a little too literally by Aboubakar Kamara.
Brighton may be well clear of danger but they’ve fared no better than Fulham over the past eight league games – although their last two league fixtures were narrow defeats to Liverpool and Manchester United.
The Seagulls’ away form certainly offers a bit of cheer for Fulham though, going into what feels like a must-win game for them.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri: “Tomorrow is crucial for us. We have to win and we have to make the maximum effort to win the match.
“Look, I am a positive man. I know it’s a hard job, but it was hard when I came and it’s hard now.
“We have to try to fight until the end. In this moment, we are relegated [with our position in the table], but it’s not possible to get worse than this. We can only improve. And I believe we will improve.”
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton: “What I’ve seen in Fulham are some good displays. They don’t look like a team that has had a difficult season.
“We’ll have to play at a good level because they have quality in the side, particularly offensively.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Brighton probably only need another eight points to stay up, with the way the league is shaping up, and I think they will get one of them on Tuesday.
Prediction: 1-1
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Fulham are winless in the past six meetings, ending a five-match losing streak against Brighton with a 2-2 draw in September’s reverse fixture.
- Brighton have won three successive league games at Craven Cottage, scoring twice each time.
Fulham
- Fulham have their worst record after 23 matches of a league season: W3, D5, L15.
- They have lost all four competitive matches in 2019, including three successive Premier League defeats. The last two of those came despite opening the scoring.
- The Cottagers have dropped 10 points in their 11 league matches under Claudio Ranieri, more than any other side during the same period.
- Fulham have conceded 51 goals, the worst record in Europe’s five major leagues this season.
- Ranieri has only won seven of his 36 Premier League games since guiding Leicester to the title in 2015-16 (D9, L20). Among managers who have taken charge of as many Premier League matches during that time, only David Wagner (18%) has a worse win percentage than Ranieri’s 19%.
- Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 38% of Fulham’s Premier League goals this season, the highest ratio of any player for any side. However, the Serbian has scored just once in his last 10 league appearances.
Brighton & Hove Albion
- The Seagulls could equal the club record of three consecutive Premier League defeats.
- They have lost a Premier League-high 20 of their 31 away games since the start of last season.
- Brighton and opponents Fulham have both only earned five points from their past eight league fixtures.
- Their only clean sheet in the past 13 league matches came in a 1-0 home win against Everton in December.
- Chris Hughton is winless in all five Premier League matches as a manager against Fulham (D3, L2). The only one of those fixtures at Craven Cottage was Norwich City’s 5-0 defeat in August 2012.
- Glenn Murray has scored five goals in his past four league appearances against Fulham, although they all came in home games. He has gone eight games without a Premier League goal, his worst run in the division for Brighton.
