Fulham travel to the London Stadium on Tuesday evening to face West Ham United in the League Cup Round of 32. Marco Silva's side will be without midfielder Tom Cairney, who is sidelined with a knee injury and is not expected back until late October.
The match kicks off at 18:45 UTC and offers Fulham a chance to progress in the competition after a mixed start to the season. They currently sit 18th in the Premier League with just one point from their opening four matches. Their most recent outing was a hard-fought 0-0 draw away to Liverpool last Saturday, a result that halted a run of three consecutive league defeats.
West Ham enter the tie in strong form, having won their last four matches in all competitions, including a 6-0 victory over Wrexham in their previous fixture. Fulham's recent results include a 3-0 win over AFC Wimbledon in the previous round of this competition, but league losses to Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Chelsea.
Silva is likely to rotate his squad for the cup tie. The team that started against Liverpool featured Bernd Leno in goal, with a back four of Timothy Castagne, Dario Affengruber, Calvin Bassey and Antonee Robinson. Sander Berge and Shea Charles anchored the midfield, supporting an attacking trio of Oscar Bobb, Joshua King and Alex Iwobi, with Gonzalo García leading the line.
Cairney's absence is a blow for Silva's midfield options. The club's official data confirms the 35-year-old is recovering from a knee issue. Fans can check the latest team news and the full list of injuries on the club's site.
After the cup tie, Fulham's focus returns to the Premier League and a key home game against Manchester United on Sunday. United are currently 13th in the table. The full schedule for the coming weeks is available on our fixtures page.
