By Hughie Southon
Fulham’s manager and top scorer will be missing first from the dug out and the pitch at Craven Cottage tomorrow afternoon (Sat).
Boss Marco Silva has been suspended from the touchline after his over exuberant protests during the FA Cup clash against Manchester United
Aleksander Mitrovioc meanwhile was pushing the manager in the same match and was handed an eight match ban by the Football Association.
However, David Moyes is careful to ensure that he doesn’t claim either or both events will be game changing – one would expect nothing else.
But the absence of Mitrovic will surely be welcomed by Hammers supporters who will believe the Hammers need every bit of help it can get right now.
He has been in fantastic form scoring ten Premier League goals as the Cottagers have all but ensured their safety at the highest level.
Moyes was ready to discuss the absences at his pre match presser and said: “Marco Silva won’t be on the touchline on Saturday, but I don’t think that will have a big change on how he prepares.
The managers are getting sent-off a bit more often, for different reasons. Whether they don’t think the refereeing is good enough, or whether we’re too exuberant, whatever it may be.
He’ll probably be upstairs, mic-ed up and can speak to people, so I don’t think it’s a huge problem nowadays and we take the game as it is.
Mitrović has done amazingly for Fulham. The goals he scored in the Championship last season were incredible and to be fair I think he had a season in the Premier League.
Before that when he didn’t get quite as much, but he hasn’t half gone on [this year] and shown he can do it in the Premier League.
So I think him being suspended will be a huge blow to Fulham and if it was us, we’d be saying it’s a huge blow to us. But it’s more of a question for Marco Silva than it is for me really.