Ian Branfoot insists Fulham’s perilous financial position means the Whites will have to trust their young talent after his experienced first-team players have ended up on the treatment table.
Key faces from last season, including utility man John Marshall, midfielder Terry Hurlock and set-piece specialist Micky Adams, are all sidelined with long-term injuries but Branfoot told the Fulham Chronicle that the Cottagers are unable to spend money on new players.
The Fulham boss said:
“This football club made a trading loss of £320,000 last year. Even when you get players on loan, you have to pay them wages in addition to those sitting here on the sidelines.”
Branfoot also admitted to being worried about being able to keep hold of the brightest young talent:
“Yet again we had a number of clubs at the Doncaster [Rovers] game looking at the likes of Duncan Jupp, Michael Mison and Martin Thomas.”
The Chronicle reports today that one of those clubs was West Ham United. The Premier League side have enquired about right back Jupp’s availability but have been told the Scottish under-21 international is valued at £600,000.
