Marco Silva admits that midfielder Tyrese Francois needs further first-team football but the slender size of Fulham’s first team squad means he is weighing up whether to let the Australian leave on loan in the closing days of the transfer window.

The Campbelltown-born midfielder has made eleven senior appearances for Fulham and starred in the early weeks of Silva’s reign at Craven Cottage having been handed an opportunity to impress in the Championship. The 23 year-old’s progress has been blighted by injury, with a loan spell at HNC Gorica curtailed by injury last year, and has made just two substitute appearances this term.

Silva told his press conference at Motspur Park yesterday:

“We haven’t decided yet, we have one more week to do it. Some players have gone on loan because we need them play more games – Stansfield is a good example of that. Ty needs to play games, we tried last season for him to be out but unfortunately he got some bad injuries. Unfortunately injuries have broken his momentum as well.

We have to decide because our squad is very short on numbers. We are doing the right things and taking care of the players we are in a position where we don’t have many injuries right now, but we have to be ready if we do have [injuries]. Let’s see what happens, if he doesn’t go on loan he will stay here for the rest of the season.”