Tom Cairney has only completed a single training session under Marco Silva, the new Fulham head coach revealed this afternoon as concerns over his captain’s injury prognosis rise.

The Scottish international has not featured for Fulham’s first team since a 1-1 draw against Newcastle last December and had to be withdrawn from full training earlier this summer after feeling discomfort with his troublesome knee injury.

As quoted by the Athletic’s Peter Rutzler, Silva told his press conference prior to the trip to Huddersfield this weekend:

“Unfortunately for me he got pain in the knee in that period and we stopped him. So it was let’s see if the next days, few weeks we hear good news about him. As you know he’s an important player for us, for the club and for me. Let’s hope we can have him as soon as possible, but in the mean time I want him 100 per cent ready to play at his best.”

The 30 year-old has been a crucial part of Fulham’s two previous promotions from the Championship, but admitted after scoring the winner against Aston Villa at Wembley in 2018 that he had played through the pain of a persistent knee problem. Promising academy graduate Fabio Carvalho looks set to have a sustained run in the first team now, with Silva waiting to see when Cairney might be able to return to full training.