Fulham couldn’t really have wished for a trickier test as they look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at Aston Villa. The Vitality Stadium hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Whites in recent seasons – only an Aleksandar Mitrovic penalty secured three points after Scott Parker’s side had been relegated in 2019 – and AFC Bournemouth have been in fine form, making their best start to a Premier League side in Cherries’ history.

Andoni Iraola’s impressive outfit have only been beaten once in the league this term and that came on the opening night against Liverpool when they were exceptionally unlucky to be beaten by the champions at Anfield. The Cherries have lost only two of their last sixteen league meetings with Fulham and have seen their smartly assembled squad survive the sale of almost an entire back four to record a run of three straight wins with former Bristol City forward Antoine Semenyo, a long-term thorn in Fulham’s side since his Bristol City days, fresh from a fabulous hat-trick against Leeds United. Since the start of April, only Erling Haaland and Jarrod Bowen have scored more than Semenyo’s eight league goals.

Iraola’s side interrupted a serious slump to deal a fatal blow to Fulham’s European push on last term but have taken fourteen points from their last seven home league fixtures, keeping four clean sheets in the process. The Cherries will be without stalwart Adam Smith at right back this evening, which should see Alex Jimenez keep his place on the right side of a new-look back four as Bafode Diakite continues a promising partnership with the magnificent Marcos Senesi. Alex Scott, another Ashton Gate old boy, will likely anchor the midfield alongside American international Tyler Adams. Brazilian striker Evanilson will likely lead the line again – with Enes Unal recovering from knee ligament damage.

Silva, a real admirer of how Iraola has steadied the ship following the Parker era, has forecast a testing evening with Bournemouth both physical and artistic in the way that they use the ball. Fulham’s major headache will be who to field up front. The Craven Cottage faithful will have been heartened by yesterday’s news that Rodrigo Muniz has committed his future to the Cottagers, but the Brazilian is likely to be out for several weeks with a hamstring injury that he sustained towards the end of the League Cup tie against Cambridge United.

Raul Jimenez remains a serious fitness doubt having hurt his hip heading Fulham in front at Villa Park – and, if the Mexican veteran isn’t able to start, Silva could well ask Adama Traore to plough a lone furrow up top from the start this evening. That experiment might have proved more successful had Josh King, who was named in the England under-21 squad this afternoon, been awarded a penalty after racing onto the Spaniard’s superbly threaded through ball at Villa. Traore is by no means a natural centre forward but Silva has almost pre-emptively ruled out the idea of starting eighteen year-old loanee Jonah Kusi-Asare, declaring the Swedish striker ‘not ready’ in during his press conference yesterday.

Just as a big a loss is right back Kenny Tete, whose knee injury is different to the one that so badly impacted his participation last season. Silva could feasibility switch systems and operate with a false nine and a back five to try and suffocate Bournemouth’s high-intensity start, but an overtly negative move doesn’t seem to fit with the Portuguese’s adventurous approach. It remains to be seen whether there will be a wholesale shake-up following Fulham’s meek second half capitulation to hand Villa their first league win last weekend – and it is probably fair to say nobody knows that his line-up might look like.

The Fulham head coach has demanded a reaction from his side, which would be timely given that the Whites face Arsenal and Newcastle after an international break that might just be coming at the right time for a change.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Andersen, Bassey; Lukic, Berge; R. Sessegnon, King, Wilson; Jimenez. Subs: Lecomte, Cuenca, Diop, Reed, Cairney, Iwobi, Chukwueze, Smith Rowe, Kevin.