From excited chatter about being the dark horses for the last Premier League European qualification place, two distinctly underwhelming results have left Fulham’s season in danger of petering out early. Marco Silva’s done magnificent job to end the Cottagers’ constant switching between the top flight and the Championship, but both consistency and resolve away from home elude him as seeks to take his charges to the next level. Nowhere was this more evident than the City Ground on Wednesday. The Whites had even had a warning courtesy of a spirited Sheffield United on Saturday, but Silva had no choice but to admit that the first half display against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest was a country mile away from the standards he’s set since stepping into Craven Cottage.

While the manager is having nothing of it, Fulham might consider themselves fortunate to be facing Newcastle this weekend. Eddie Howe’s 2024 hasn’t matched his previous calendar year on Tyneside: with the Magpies having mustered four wins, three draws and four defeats as an injury-hit squad has struggled to juggle the demands of Champions’ League football with expectations that soared following a superb season last term. They experienced the ecstasy of coming back from the dead to beat West Ham on Saturday before being brought back to earth with a bump by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late penalty that earned Everton a point on Tuesday night.

Newcastle have an impeccable recent record against Fulham – winning all of their last four meetings, including two already during this season. They’ve yet to win in the capital this season and Howe will have to alter that record whilst potentially being without thirteen first-team players for this fixture. Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles, Matt Targett, Tino Livramento, Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson all appear to have been ruled out of the this encounter, whilst Lewis Hall is likely to be available having been taken off as a precaution in midweek. Anthony Gordon is available again after missing the meeting with his old club through suspension and could be part of a dangerous wing pairing alongside last weekend’s goal hero Harvey Barnes.

Silva was at pains to point out that Newcastle still have significant quality to call upon – chiefly because they had assembled a Champions’ League quality squad having qualified for Europe’s premier club competition arguably a little ahead of schedule last season. Howe will be able to call upon the red-hot Aleksander Isak, who has scored three goals in his last two outings, and will be licking his lips at the chance to added to his tally of five Premier League goals in seven appearances in London for the Geordies. A fragile Fulham defence couldn’t have wished for a more prolific opponent.

It will be fascinating to see whether Silva keeps faith with a largely tried and tested eleven or reacts to the fiasco at Forest with wholesale changes. He has a fully-fit squad to choose from – and so abject was the defending at the City Ground that the entire back five are vulnerable. Kenny Tete hardly did chances of reclaiming his spot back from Timothy Castagne any favours, whilst Tosin Adarabioyo looked utterly bereft at times. Issa Diop must be in with a decent chance of returning to the starting line-up having had to watch Tosin build a promising partnership with summer signing Calvin Bassey.

Silva lost patience with the side he’d selected within half an hour Trentside on Tuesday night – and you’d think Tom Cairney stands a good chance of reprising his understanding with Joao Palhinha this weekend. The Portuguese tough tackler was off colour against Forest, but the Whites will need him at his meanest if they are to blunt the guile and creativity of the visiting midfielders. Willian was a surprise absentee from the starting eleven on Tuesday and should come back into the side, whilst Adama Traore didn’t set the world alight after coming as a substitute but must be ready to rival Harry Wilson for a starting spot.

Fulham are an entirely different proposition for any Premier League side on home turf. They’ve won nine of fifteen league games at the Cottage this season – and, with Silva looking for an answer after a couple of uncharacteristically error-strewn outings over the past week, the Whites will be fired up to prove a point or two. Newcastle haven’t travelled well this term, but beating them would still be some statement.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Diop, Bassey; Palhinha, Cairney; Iwobi, Willian, Pereira; Muniz. Subs: Rodak, Tete, Ream, Reed, Lukic, De Corodova-Reid, Willian, Traore, Jimenez.