Fulham manager Chris Coleman’s next concern is Tuesday night’s third-round Carling Cup clash at home to West Brom.
In the previous round the Cottagers could only scrape past tiny Lincoln City when Coleman gave almost a whole team of fringe men a run out and saw the lower Division side take the tie into extra time before a late goal gave the Premiership outfit a 5-4 victory.
Coleman vowed he would field as strong a side as possible this time, although goalkeeper Mark Crossley, defender Niclas Jensen, midfielder Claus Jensen and forward Brian McBride and Tomasz Radzinski will all be missing.
Coleman said: “We want to do well in this competition and build on the results we’ve had. We are up against another Premiership team so if we want to do well we will have to field a strong team, it’s as simple as that.”
Fulham are still in the wrong half of the Premiership table but Coleman admitted he already had one eye on going all the way in this Cup competition.
He said: “Why not? A couple of years ago it was Bolton and Middlesbrough in the final. And we have seen Arsenal, even in the semi-final, have not always put out their strongest team. That gives us a chance.
“The winner gets into Europe and it’s a big incentive for us. Once you get past the quarterfinal anything can happen and reaching a final would be an achievement.”
