The upbeat mood that has surrounded Fulham’s return to the top flight was punctured brutally last weekend when Newcastle ruthlessly exploited Nathaniel Chalobah’s loss of control to romp to a comfortable victory at Craven Cottage. In truth, it only took eight minutes for Marco Silva’s game plan to unravel with Chalobah, selected to the fill the gaping hole in midfield left by Joao Palhinha’s absence, taking his instructions to fill in for the tough-tackling Portuguese midfielder way too far. The Whites, as Silva admitted last week, did not respond well enough to adversity and the game was over well before half time.

If Fulham’s injury crisis was worrying before the visit of the Magpies to SW6, then it could be causing the most pessimistic followers palpitations ahead of a London derby at improving West Ham this afternoon. The headlines were taken by the possibility that the Cottagers could be without their talismanic forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, who limped out of the meeting with his former employers suffering a recurrence of the foot injury that disturbed him during his Nations League exploits with Serbia. But there are wider concerns about the availability of the full backs that are so crucial to Silva’s system.

Antonee Robinson failed a fitness test last weekend and was replaced by Layvin Kurzawa. The French international didn’t finish the first half after injuring his calf in his first outing for more than a year – and, should Robinson be unavailable again, we could see a return to the back four that lined up at the City Ground last month. That may mean Tim Ream fills in at left back once again, with Issa Diop returning to face his former side. Regular right back Kenny Tete, injured in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Watford during the international break, also faces a late fitness test to see if he can feature on his birthday.

It isn’t all bad news, however. Palhinha’s return will strengthen Fulham’s engine room in an area that will be pivotal to their hopes of getting a result against the Hammers. Winger Harry Wilson, who hasn’t featured all season since a suffering a serious knee injury in a pre-season meeting with Aston Villa, is in contention to make the matchday squad. The prospect of the Welsh international, who enjoyed such a superb first season at Craven Cottage, is a significant boost as he has made swifter progress with his recovery than expected and will offer intelligent running and dangerous delivery from a wide position. He may only be fit enough to make the bench today at best, but Wilson’s presence immediately strengthens Silva’s options.

West Ham appear in a much steadier position than a couple of weeks ago. David Moyes’ men have endured a tough start to the season but a comfortable win over Wolves last weekend – where the lively Jarrod Bowen scored his first goal of the campaign – was followed by another European triumph that sees the Hammers top their Europa League group with maximum points. Any suggestion that Moyes was in danger as a result of his side’s slow start was transparently preposterous given how he has transformed their fortunes, with Silva outlining on Friday how the Scot had made them genuine contenders for the Champions’ League positions.

The quality of the side that Fulham face at the London Stadium this afternoon shouldn’t be in doubt. Alphonse Areola, superb for the Whites in another dismal relegation season, can’t get in the first team. They have a strong defence, which should include not only Ben Chilwell but also the likes of Thilo Kehrer, Kurt Zouma and the criminally underappreciated Craig Dawson, protected by two of the best defensive midfielders in the division in the shape of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek. Lucas Pacqueta is a real talent in the number ten role and Gianluca Scamacca is now warming to the task of leading a Premier League attack.

Fulham’s record at West Ham is abysmal. You have to go back to the brilliant Brian McBride volley that sparked a second half flurry of goals for the Whites’ last win away at the Hammers – although that came in an FA Cup replay at the Boleyn Ground when the hosts were in the second tier. It is more than two decades since Steed Malbranque and Sylvain Legwinski stunned Upton Park to give the Whites an impressive victory in their first season back in the top tier – and, perhaps more worryingly, that clean sheet in November 2001 was their last away at West Ham. Fulham have conceded a total of 49 goals in 21 top-flight visits to the Hammers, with West Ham unbeaten in their last eleven home meetings with the Cottagers – winning the last four in a row. Silva’s side have sprung a few surprises already this season – they’ll need to be at their very best to do so again this afternoon.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Ream; Palhinha, Reed; James, Decordova-Reid, Pereira; Mitrovic. Subs: Rodak, Diop, Duffy, Cairney, Harris, Onomah, Kebano, Wilson, Vinicius.