Jon Harley is no doubt that he wants Fulham to beat his former club Chelsea in the first top-flight SW6 derby for more than three decades on Sunday – but the England under-21 left back just wants to prove his fitness.
A groin injury picked up in the League Cup penalty shoot-out success at Rochdale last month has made it a frustrating start to life at his new club following his £3.5m move along the Fulham Road earlier this summer. Harley told Fulham’s official website that he wants to be involved in the derby.
“I’d love to play but I’m just coming back from my groin injury, and it’s important to make sure I’m fully recovered before I play. I’ve just started running again, so hopefully I’ll be back soon. It’s a massive game, – not just for me, but for everyone at Fulham. We know how much it means to the fans, but it’s vital that we get the three points, regardless of who we’re playing. We’ve had some reasonable performances, but we’re not as high in the table as we should be, and it’s time to put that right.”
Harley, who spent his formative years with the Blues, scoffed at any suggestion that he might have divided loyalties ahead of the battle for the bragging rights.
“None at all. I keep in touch, and I’ve got a lot of good friends there, but that just increases the rivalry. All that matters is that Fulham go out and do it and get the three points. Confidence is high, we’re all very optimistic that we’ll get the right result.”
