Those irritating international breaks often arrive at just the wrong time. Marco Silva’s side were flying high a fortnight ago after back-to-back derby victories over Brentford and Crystal Palace, but Fulham have had to wait fourteen days for opportunity to try and win three Premier League fixtures in a row for the first time since January 2023. Earlier in the month, a clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Craven Cottage might have looked like a certain home banker but Gary O’Neill’s men – who mustered just a single point from their first eight matches – are now unbeaten in three games having drawn with Brighton and Hove Albion, Palace and claimed a first league three points of the campaign against Southampton at Molineux.

Silva spoke yesterday of the danger that Wolves pose. They are lean and hungry in attack with the dangerous Matheus Cunha, able to play in all three positions across the forward line, having already notched five goals and two assists in eleven appearances this term. Cunha and Pablo Sarabia, who bagged the crucial goals in that vital victory over the Saints last time out, have formed a good understanding behind lone striker Jorgen Strand Larsen of late with the lanky Norwegian beginning to make an impression after arriving on loan from Celta Vigo.

Fulham fans won’t need an introduction to the marauding midfield running of Mario Lemina, who poured his heart and soul in the Whites’ unsuccessful fight against relegation in 2020/2021, and has since blossomed as a goalscoring box-to-box operator in the old gold. Wolves eventually concluded a deal to sign the Brazilian international Andre from Fluminese in the summer, who was so long linked with a move to SW6, although O’Neill has opted for the shielding skills of Joao Gomes in the engine room in recent weeks. The former Bournemouth head coach has shifted to three central defenders since the start of the season and Wolves have looked more resolute with Craig Dawson, Toti and Santiago Bueno – who seems to have shaken off a thigh injury to be fit to play today – in front of the experienced Jose Sa.

Silva will probably have instructed his side to draw on the experiences of beating the low blocks employed their local rivals before the pause for the denouement of the Nations League group stages but, usually for a side in form, he has his own selection headaches. Sasa Lukic was arguably the Whites’ player of the season until he dislocated a shoulder six weeks ago whilst playing for Serbia having transitioned terrifically into the Joao Palhinha role, but whether the techincally-gifted schemer is match sharp to be paired with an in-form Sander Berge will be the head coach’s call.

Andreas Pereira has been a target for some of the boo-boys this term as he has struggled to fulfil all the elements of a deeper central midfield role but there have been signs of a potent creative partnership with Emile Smith Rowe in recent weeks, especially at Selhurst Park where the pair were behind most of the Cottagers’ most dangerous attacks. Perhaps the hardest issue to solve for Silva is how to find a place in the starting eleven for Harry Wilson, whose scoring streak for club and country is now approaching sensational levels after his strikes as a super-sub for the Whites and another belter of a long-range goal that secured promotion for Craig Bellamy’s side in midweek.

Wilson’s late runs into the box – as highlighted by his decisive double against Brentford – are an excellent weapon of getting extra numbers into the area to support Raul Jimenez, who is enjoying his own purple patch and comes up against his former employers this afternoon four years after the sickening skull fracture at Arsenal that put his whole career in jeopardy. The likelihood is that the Welshman will start amongst the substitutes again – but, given Wolves’ improvement of late, his services may well be depended upon once again.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Andersen, Bassey; Berge, Lukic; Traore, Iwobi, Smith Rowe; Jimenez. Subs: Benda, Castagne, R. Sessegnon, Cuenca, Pereira, Cairney, Wilson, Nelson, Muniz.