Slavisa Jokanovic said that Tom Cairney’s absence from Fulham’s win over Barnsley this afternoon was down to his troublesome knee injury – and not the result of rumoured interest from West Ham United.
The Fulham head coach insisted that Cairney remained part of his plans and that the club were not entertaining selling any of any of their key players during the January transfer window. Reports last night suggested that the Fulham captain was keen on joining the Premier League outfit, but, after the Scottish international signed a contract extension keeping him at Craven Cottage until 2021 and rebuffed £20m interest from Newcastle last year, it would take a significant increased Hammers’ offer for the Whites to change their stance.
Following Fulham’s 3-1 win at Oakwell that lifted the Londoners into the Championship play-off positions for the first time this season, Jokanovic told the press:
I don’t have any information because I don’t want to sell him. I expect him to be with us. I would be really surprised if he leaves.
I spoke with him yesterday, he’s unhappy with this situation he has with the knee, I try force him but he wasn’t available to work with us so I didn’t bring him today. I had plan to bring him on bench but I expect he will be available for next game.
Fulham’s playmaker has made just eighteen appearances this season after picking up a knee injury during pre-season. The former Blackburn midfielder, named in the PFA Championship team of the year after a superb season last year when the Whites narrowly missed out on the play-off final, has made 111 appearances for Fulham since moving to Craven Cottage in August 2015, scoring 22 goals and laying on 21 assists.
