Post by gw on Oct 28, 2006 11:09:10 GMT -1
Craven Cottage
Saturday, 28 October
Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MOTD
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Fulham captain Luis Boa Morte returns to their squad after five weeks out with a fractured cheekbone but is likely to start on the bench.
Goalkeeper Antti Niemi felt a twinge in his groin in training on Friday but is expected to be fit.
Denny Landzaat could get another chance in the Wigan midfield following Josip Skoko's hamstring injury.
Centre-back Fitz Hall is also out with ankle ligament damage so Andy Webster or Matt Jackson will deputise.
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Fulham (from): Niemi, Rosenior, Knight, Pearce, Queudrue, Brown, Bocanegra, Volz, Jensen, Radzinski, McBride, John, Boa Morte, Lastuvka, Helguson, Zakuani, Routledge.
Wigan (from): Kirkland, Boyce, Webster, De Zeeuw, Baines, Teale, Valencia, Landzaat, Scharner, Kilbane, Todorov, Camara, McCulloch, Heskey, Pollitt, Jackson.
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Fulham striker Tomasz Radzinski:
"Wigan will be flying high after last weekend and they're a team that can score many goals.
"It's going to be a tough game but, with the right approach and our home advantage, hopefully we can continue our good form and put another three points on the board.
"We have to have the right approach to the game and we've got two or three players in our team who can make a difference and score the goals for us.
"We are a very stubborn team now and we don't give up. Our heads don't drop and even if we go a goal behind we know we can turn it around."
Wigan boss Paul Jewell:
"Fulham have had a decent start. Since they lost to Manchester United on the first day they've won at Newcastle and have kept up good home form.
"It's a tough place to go, we went there last year, played very well and lost the game.
"We need to start picking up points on the road and I'm sure that the victory on Saturday and the way we've responded since the Manchester United game will stand us in good stead."
BIG-MATCH FACTS
FULHAM entertain fellow mid-table Wigan in their 200th Premier League fixture and 100th on home turf. The hosts have lost just twice so far in this League season. The visitors have won twice.
Chris Coleman's side gained a deserved point at unbeaten Aston Villa last weekend. It's was the fourth match in which they had picked up something from a losing position. Indeed with one win and three draws, effectively six points, gained from matches in which they were trailing, it makes the Cottagers the most resilient side in the top League.
The other previous Premiership meetings between these clubs were last season and resulted in 1-0 wins for the clubs playing at home.
WIGAN ATHLETIC may have been finding life considerably harder in the top flight this time around than in their rookie season, being three places and three points above the bottom three. But they head south on the back of a magnificent 4-0 home win over Manchester City - their first maximum in six outings.
Paul Jewell's men have scored and conceded goals in equal measure so far this term, and are averaging a point a game. They're hoping to secure back-to-back wins for the first time in 16 Premiership engagements.
The Latics' only ever League victory on Fulham turf was 1-2 in the old Third Division on 18 September 1990.
REFEREE
Graham Poll (Tring, Hertfordshire)
Premiership referees' table
Graham Poll's 2006-07 Premiership card count
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
FULHAM
Club stats
Fixtures
8th 13 points
Highest achievable mathematically after Saturday's matches: 5th
Lowest could fall: 11th
1. Won one of the last six in all competitions.
2. Avoided defeat in seven of the last eight Premiership games.
3. Need a draw to total 250 all-time Premier League points.
4. Hold a 100% record from League matches in which they have scored first (won two of two against Sheffield United and Charlton - both at home), and avoided defeat in four games in which they were behind (won at Newcastle, and drew home to Bolton, and away to Watford and Aston Villa).
5. Completed 21 top tier encounters since winning by more than a single goal (6-1, home to West Brom on 11 February).
6. Only Charlton have shipped more goals than Fulham in this Premiership campaign (14 to the Addicks' 15).
7. Top flight matches involving the Cottagers have yielded more goals than any other club - 25 (11 for, 14 against).
8. Scored more goals in the last 10 minutes of Premiership matches than any other club (five).
9. Conceded more goals in the first quarter of Premiership matches (22 minutes) than any other club (four).
10. This is the first of two consecutive fixtures at Craven Cottage. Everton visit next Saturday.
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Club stats
Fixtures
15th 8 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 11th
Lowest could fall: 18th
1. Won one of the last seven in all competitions.
2. Failed to win five of the last six Premiership matches.
3. Lost seven of eight League and Cup matches away from home, gaining only two points from the possible 24 since beating Manchester City 0-1 on 18 March.
4. The best starters in the highest League with four goals scored in the first five minutes, and none conceded in the first quarter (22 minutes). That's better than any other club on both counts.
5. Picked up just one point from the 12 available on the road this term (2-2 at Everton on 16 September).
6. Last achieved successive victories in the Premiership on 11 and 18 March (away to both Sunderland and Manchester City).
7. Won by more than a single goal in only one of the last 27 Premiership encounters.
8. Hold a 100% record this season when a clean sheet has been kept (won two of two), but one of the most profligate sides in the top tier with eight points dropped from winning positions (drew 1-1 home to Watford, and lost 2-1 at Blackburn, and 1-3, home to Manchester United).
9. Had double as many points at this identical stage last season (16 after the first eight games, and 19 after nine).
10. Have another Lancashire derby after this - away to Bolton next Saturday.
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
FULHAM
Squad profiles
Brian McBRIDE is Fulham's leading scorer, with three goals.
When next he lines up from the opening whistle, Luis BOA MORTE will be making his 200th start for Fulham.
Mark PEMBRIDGE needs one more appearance to total 400 in his English League career (Luton, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Everton and Fulham).
Injury prevents Jimmy BULLARD from facing his former club.
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Squad profiles
Emile HESKEY is Wigan's top scorer, with three goals.
Paul SCHARNER and Leighton BAINES are the only players to have been on the field for every minute of every one of the Latics' League and Cup matches this season.
Lee McCULLOCH will be making his 200th League appearance for Wigan, if he participates.
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Fulham 1-0 Wigan Athletic
24 April 2006 - Ref: Rob Styles
Fulham scorer: Malbranque 45
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
Home and away
League: Fulham 12 wins, Wigan 7, Draws 7
Prem: Fulham 1 win, Wigan 1, Draws 0
at Fulham only
League: Fulham 8 wins, Wigan 1, Draws 4
Prem: Fulham 1 win, Wigan 0, Draws 0