Fulham v Crystal Palace predicted line-ups: Robinson and Mateta updates ahead of FA Cup quarter-finalFulham v Crystal Palace predicted line-ups: Robinson and Mateta updates ahead of FA Cup quarter-final
Fulham v Crystal Palace predicted line-ups: Robinson and Mateta updates ahead of FA Cup quarter-final | Getty Images
The latest team news and injury updates ahead of Fulham v Crystal Palace in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Fulham face Crystal Palace in the first of Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final ties in a match which could define the winning side’s season – but both teams are coming into the clash at Craven Cottage with a number of injury concerns.
Fulham, who are hoping to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in 50 years, can count key full-back Antonee Robinson among their doubts for the game, while Palace fans are waiting to find out whether Jean-Philippe Mateta is available after he was kicked in the head by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts during the fifth-round victory at Selhurst Park.
We’ve got all of the latest updates on both players and all the rest of the team news below, along with predicted line-ups for Marco Silva and Oliver Glasner’s sides ahead of a massive match in West London.
Antonee Robinson injury a worry for Fulham
Perhaps Fulham’s biggest concern ahead of Saturday’s showdown is over the fitness of left-back Robinson, who withdrew from the USA side ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals due to tendinopathy.
Robinson has been dealing with the condition, which causes pain and swelling in the tendons, for some months and chose to focus on his recovery rather than linking up with the national team. While he missed those matches, the news that Robinson is rested and has been successfully managing the problem for some time suggests that he is likely to be available.
Elsewhere there are serious doubts over the availability of Kenny Tete (knee) and Harry Wilson (ankle), with both players more likely to be back in the side in April, while Reiss Nelson is likely to miss the rest of the season after undergoing hamstring surgery.
Serbian midfielder Saša Lukić will be back in the line-up after serving a two-match domestic suspension for collecting 10 bookings in the Premier League, while the squad should otherwise have a clean bill of health with Adama Traoré now believed to be fully recovered from an ankle injury.
Fulham predicted line-up vCrystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Leno; Robinson, Bassey, Andersen, Castagne; Berge, Pereira; Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Traoré; Jiménez.
Will Jean-Philippe Mateta play for Crystal Palace?
Having missed the 1-0 win over Ipswich Town while recovering from the significant injury done to his ear by Roberts’ flying boot at the start of the month, French forward Mateta is expected to play against Fulham, with Sky Sports News reporting earlier in the week that he had been “given the all-clear”.
While that’s a significant boost for Glasner’s squad heading into Saturday’s game, they will still be without the services of defender Chadi Riad (ACL) and midfielder Chieck Doucouré (knee), neither of whom will play again this season. There have also been no further updates on the status of Joel Ward, who has yet to feature in the 2024/25 campaign due to an ongoing calf problem.
Palace have however avoided any further injury issues following the international break and should otherwise have a full squad to choose from. Will Hughes will also be an option as the yellow card suspension he has collected in the Premier League will not apply for the FA Cup. The former Watford man will, however, be unavailable to face Southampton in midweek.
Crystal Palace predicted line-up v Fulham (3-4-3): Henderson; Guéhi, Lacroix, Richards; Mitchell, Hughes, Wharton, Muñoz; Eze, Sarr, Mateta.