Terence Kongolo will not face his former side at Craven Cottage this afternoon – with Fulham head coach Marco Silva admitting the Dutch defender has an uncertain future.
Kongolo has made just two appearances since turning his initial loan from Huddersfield into a £4m move in October 2020. The 26 year-old has struggled to prove his fitness with Fulham’s under 23s this season and the Whites were unable to offload him last month. Reported interest from his homeland came to nothing and the Dutch international is understood to have failed a medical at Sunderland late on transfer deadline day.
Silva told his pre-match press conference yesterday that Fulham’s attempts to find Kongolo regular football had been unsuccessful.
“We have tried, not just here but abroad. We had some contact, some possible situations, but in the end we didn’t find the right one, so it wasn’t possible. Terence is one of the players in our squad and we have to take care of him and treat him like all the others and to give him a chance in all of the training sessions to show his quality.
But he knows it will be difficult for him. It is difficult because of the other four, they have more games than him, are in better physical condition than him so the competition between them is hard. I would like to see Terence play some more if I am honest, because without matches it is difficult for me and unfortunately for him and for us as a football club.”
Kongolo is under contract at Craven Cottage until 2024 and Silva admits the club will need to review the situation come the end of the current campaign.
“We will see again in three months but if nothing changes then we have to find a solution for Terence. I am not saying he won’t play this season, because football can change so quickly, but let’s see what will happen and we will take the best decision for the player and for the club.”
