As expected, Fulham will have to do without Andy Johnson at Chelsea tomorrow.

Johnson, who is Fulham’s joint top scorer with seven goals this season, suffered medial ligament damage in the 1-0 win over Stoke last weekend, but manager Roy Hodgson says the injury is not as serious many people first feared.

Andy Johnson is unavailable due to the knee injury he picked up last week in the game against Stoke. It’s a slight damage to the ligament in his knee but luckily the crucial word is ‘slight’. It’s not a major problem. The medical staff are pretty confident he’ll be ready for next Saturday. We can’t guarantee that but it gives an idea to the intensity of the injury.

Johnson’s regular strike partner Bobby Zamora has been passed fit to play having trained regularly since Tuesday after coming off early against Stoke with a back spasm. The choice will be whether to play a strike partner up alongside Zamora – leaving it between Diomansy Kamara and Erik Nevland – or to play Clint Dempsey in behind a lone front man.

Simon Davies will be out for the remainder of the season and has had an operation to aid his recovery from an ankle injury. Hodgson described the Welsh midfielder’s absence as ‘a major blow’ but hopes that on loan Giles Barnes, who Fulham believe will be back in training from Monday, can make an impact in the closing weeks of the season.