Fulham head coach Scott Parker has hinted that Michael Hector is closer to winning back a place in the Fulham side.
The former Chelsea defender got his first taste of Premier League football in nearly four months when he came on as a substitute against Newcastle last week.
That appearance only came because of the red card shown to Joachim Andersen.
In fact, both the Dane and Tosin Adarabioyo have cemented their places at the heart of the defence, but with a slew of games over the holiday period, Parker is ready to shuffle his pack – even with Andersen’s dismissal rescinded.
“Over the last six or seven weeks I see someone who’s fully focused, and who has an understanding of what’s needed to be a top Premier League footballer,” the head coach said.
“He did incredibly well for us last year, but didn’t have a big turnaround in terms pre-season
“He’s also just had a newborn baby, and he struggled – he would be the first to say that you hadn’t seen the best side of Michael Hector.
“But give him some time and a reset.
He’s got a real upbeatness about him, and moving forward he can hopefully get more game time in the coming weeks.”