Zat Knight says he is ignoring any international speculation after England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson praised his recent Fulham performances last week.
The tall, young centre back has firmly established himself at the heart of Chris Coleman’s back four as the Whites have made a superb start to the season – surprising the pundits who had almost universally tipped them as relegation certainties before the start of the campaign.
Knight insists he is solely focused on continuing Fulham’s fine start:
“My main goal is to play well for Fulham and keep a regular place in the team. If an England place then comes along it will be a massive bonus – it’s everyone’s ambition to play for their country. On Sunday I’ll be up against Michael Owen, who is one of, if not the best strikers in the Premiership. Learning to deal with the likes of him will improve my game and also give me another chance to show what I can do.”
Coleman could hand wantaway midfielder Sean Davis a first start of the season after Mark Pembridge picked up an injury in last week’s win at Manchester United. Japanese midfielder Junichi Inamoto is suspended and Davis could come into contention. Jerome Bonnissel is doubtful but Alain Goma (knee)is definitely out, paving the way for either Andy Melville or Martin Djetou to fill the void in defence, while Edwin van der Sar should be given the all clear.
