Team selection is becoming harder and harder at Craven Cottage with injuries to Chris Coleman, Barry Hayes and Lee Clark and now suspensions for Luis Boa Morte and Louis Saha.

Fulham have been penalised at a faster rate than any other team in the Premiership and Nationwide One since the start of the season, with clubs such as Bolton, Blackburn and Watford being under penalised, in comparison, by as many as 16 yellow cards. At the moment referees, on average, are giving Fulham players a yellow card for every 5 fouls, in comparison to a Nationwide One average of 8 and a Premiership average of 9.

Louis Saha collected his 5th yellow card in the Norwich game on the 13/01/01 and will therefore miss the QPR away game on the 31/01/01. As Luis Boa Morte has been cautioned 10 times he will be suspended for two games, the Birmingham and QPR games. Fulham have another two players on 4 yellow cards, Rufus Brevett and Barry Hayles, who are virtually guarenteed a suspension in the next six weeks on current trends.

The Fulham Maestro Jean Tigana will need to lay his plans very carefully during January and February if he is to avoid a string of poor results brought on by injuries and suspensions.