Papa Bouba Diop is determined to prove himself to Fulham manager Chris Coleman.
The Senegal midfielder appeared close to leaving the club in January when he was offered the chance to join Wigan Athletic.
He rejected a move to The JJB Stadium and has subsequently featured in Fulham’s last six matches.
Diop produced a solid display in Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Wigan and is keen to press his claims to Coleman over the coming weeks.
Though the international break will halt the midfield powerhouse’s recent good form, he remains focused on proving his worth at Craven Cottage.
“Although there is a break from matches this weekend, I will still be here working hard at the training ground and preparing for the Portsmouth game,” Diop told the club’s official website.
“My target was to return from injury and get back into the team as quickly as possible.
“Now that I have achieved that, my objective is to get fitter, stronger and focus on the next game – I want to prove myself in the remaining matches.
“I was happy with my overall performance on Saturday and tried to win as many balls in the air as possible.
“Now that I have managed to play a few matches in succession I am keen to get stronger and play even better in the remaining eight games of the season. I am confident that I can continue to perform well.”
