Town boss Mick McCarthy has warned that despite Fulham’s current lowly position their squad still contains players with Premier League experience as well as a number of promising youngsters. The Cottagers, who were amongst the pre-season favourites for promotion following their relegation in May, are currently 18th in the Championship, five points from the relegation zone.

“The front guys are certainly a strength,” said McCarthy, whose side climbed back to fourth following Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. “I don’t know if Scott Parker’s playing, he’s been poorly, I think.

“They’ve still got good players left [from the Premier League] and they’ve got good young players.

“They went out and bought young players that they thought were going to be good enough for the Premier League.

“I think in the Championship on any given day it’s how you take your chances and they’ve got an £11 million striker, [Ross McCormack].

“So if we make mistakes and we give them chances they might take them and it’s difficult to get back. Hugo Rodallega’s still playing for them as well, they’ve got some good players.

“They are a young group of players but they’ve good good players as well and they’ve got some experienced players.”

Kit Symons took over as boss in October having done well as caretaker-manager following Felix Magath’s sacking.

McCarthy says the former Welsh international has taken on a difficult job: “Kit’s inherited it after two or three managers, there have been a lot over a period of time, but just in recent times there have been a few.

“He got it as caretaker-manager and did amazingly well and even then they were still considering somebody else.

“It’s difficult, I think, for anybody to take over in those circumstances. Managers that were changing, coaching staff that were changing and then players that were changing and I think he’s settled it down and is doing a very good job of it.”

The Blues are set to be backed by an away following of more than 4,000, thought to be their biggest in the league since 4,310 made the trip to Reading back in 2005, with 250 making the voyage by boat.

McCarthy says he’s been hugely impressed by the travelling Blue Army: “When I watched the Rotherham game back again I was amazed at the support that we had, it was fantastic.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the result but we had enough chances. Let’s hope we give them something to shout about and enjoy.”

Tickets will be available to Town fans on the day in a 'neutral zone’, for cash only with an increase on previous prices of £5. Fans planning to take the train should note the current major disruption on the line.

The Town boss has decisions to make having made five changes to his team for Tuesday’s victory over the Owls but feeling some of the players who came in might not be up to two games in a week after playing little first-team football in recent months.

Bartosz Bialkowski is set to continue in goal with goalscoring skipper Luke Chambers at right-back and Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith at the heart of the defence.

McCarthy will have to choose whether Jonny Parr starts at left-back or Tyrone Mings comes back into the XI. Against Wednesday Mings came on at half-time and Parr was pushed into midfield.

Starting the Norwegian in that wide left role may be something McCarthy is considering but Stephen Hunt and Jay Tabb are also options.

Centrally, McCarthy may well decide to return to the Cole Skuse-Kevin Bru partnership with the Mauritian international having been one of Town’s best performers after he replaced Teddy Bishop against the Owls.

On the right, Darren Ambrose may be handed a second league start since returning for his third spell with the club but may not last the full 90 minutes having played relatively little first-team football.

Up front, Daryl Murphy will be looking to net his 20th goal of the season to become the first Town player to net 20 in the league since David Johnson’s 22 in the 1999/00 promotion season.

McCarthy has hinted that Freddie Sears will keep his place after an impressive performance against Wednesday even if David McGoldrick is over his thigh problem, as is expected to be the case.

Recently signed 19-year-old right winger Dylan Connolly will travel with the senior squad for the first time and has been handed the number 24 shirt.

Luke Hyam and Alex Henshall - who returned from his loan spell at Blackpool last week - are the only players currently sidelined with injuries, both with knee problems.

Fulham skipper Scott Parker is expected to be back in the Cottagers’ midfield from the start having been on the bench for Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat to Bolton having been ill.

Full-backs Tim Hoogland (hernia) and Fernando Amorebieta (knee) are both close to a return but the Town game may come too soon for them.

Costa Rica World Cup star Bryan Ruiz is set to be amongst the subs after a loan move to Spanish side Levante collapsed.

Town and the Cottagers last met at Craven Cottage in the Premier League in the Blues’ 2001/02 relegation campaign.

That game, played in the October, ended 1-1 with Town unable to break down a Fulham side which was down to 10 men for most of the game.

Luis Boa Morte saw red just before half-time for a dive, although in truth he should have gone earlier for an elbow on Fabian Wilnis.

Town, who lost Finidi George to a broken cheekbone early on, had already gone behind to a Barry Hayles goal with the equaliser from Jermaine Wright coming in the second half.

On the opening day of this season at Portman Road, David McGoldrick came off the bench to score the decisive goal as Town won 2-1.

McGoldrick added to Daryl Murphy’s first-half goal in the 61st minute with Tim Hoogland pulling one back late on for the visitors.

Historically, the sides have met relatively rarely with the Blues victorious on seven occasions (five in the league), Fulham on eight (seven) and with seven (five) games ending in draws.

The Whites' last victory over the Blues was the famous 10-1 win at Craven Cottage on Boxing Day 1963.

Fulham are without a win in their last five games in all competitions and have won only two of their last 12 matches.

Ex-Town loanee Ryan Tunnicliffe joined the Cottagers in January 2014 from Manchester United after ending his spell at Portman Road early, while former Blue Brian Talbot is the chief scout at Craven Cottage, where he briefly played late on in his career.

The fourth-placed Blues have an opportunity to make up some ground on leaders Middlesbrough and third-placed Derby who are in FA Cup action this weekend. Bournemouth in second will go back to the top if they draw with Huddersfield at home.

Saturday’s referee is Mark Haywood from West Yorkshire, who has shown 85 yellow cards and three reds in 28 games so far this season.

Haywood’s most recent Town match was the 0-0 home draw with Blackpool in February last year in which he booked three of the visitors and no Town players.

Squad from: Bialkowski, Gerken, Chambers (c), Mings, Parr, Berra, Smith, Clarke, Skuse, Bru, Bishop, Ambrose, Anderson, Tabb, S Hunt, Stewart, Connolly, Murphy, Sears, McGoldrick, N Hunt.

Photo: Action Images

cromwellblue added 12:35 - Feb 13 Really want to see 4-3-3 with Sear, Murph & Dids. I also think this formation gives Mings more freedom to get forward.
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walberswicks added 12:38 - Feb 13 Fulham are without a win in their last five games in all competitions and have won only two of their last 12 matches. there's no better team to play than ITFC with these stats
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warktheline added 12:44 - Feb 13 Has the potential to be a great game of football.....have a feeling Mick might allow the boys a touch more freedom. Go for Mick, and let's see where it takes us!
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bobble added 13:06 - Feb 13 3-1 to town...end of this nonsense losing streak...
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BlueMachines added 13:12 - Feb 13 I hope you're right Walktheline!! The best form of defence is attack!!
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Cakeman added 13:24 - Feb 13 Fulham may still have Premier players but we have got Premier turnstiles. The paint for them that Clegg bought was of a very high standard!
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Beattiesballbag added 13:50 - Feb 13 Please start with your best team & cut the bull*'*t,...........Sears up front with Murph, Ambrose on the right Parr on the left, & Bru in front of Scuse, then if..."IF" they get tired then you can bring on McG & Bish or who ever!........ just don't go on the back foot again. Please.
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Andy32Cracknell added 13:56 - Feb 13 Same before every game. Lets plant the seed of doubt just in case we dont win. Next thing Blackpool are a decent team and there gunna go on a late run and win the league lol
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walberswicks added 13:59 - Feb 13 Yes Mick they're awesome. If you can't take advantage of us being in the top 4 and Fulham being in the bottom 4 you need to rethink. How about mentioning some negatives of being in the bottom 4 rather than admiring their young stars and ex prem players?
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Len_Brennan added 14:05 - Feb 13 "Town and the Cottagers last met at Craven Cottage in the Premier League in the Blues' 2001/02 relegation campaign. ... Town, who lost Finidi George to a broken cheekbone early on ..." An injury from which the previously exceptional Finidi never came back from & after Marcus Stewart suffered a simialr injury, Town never really recovered. A red letter day in the history of our beloved club perhaps.

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BlueandTruesince82 added 14:24 - Feb 13 Andy, that will be the same Blackpool who gave Boro hell of a game mid week wont it?
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PJH added 15:10 - Feb 13 walberswicks-Fulham are NOT in the bottom 4 but why concern yourself with facts?
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rickw added 15:22 - Feb 13 After reading about their midfield diamond we are unlikely to dominate possession, so for the first time I think we should play 442 and drop McGoldrick! Mings and Parr worked well together on our left on Tuesday and I think they could be the key to winning again - teaming up vs their full back! BialkowskiChambersSmithBerraMingsSkuseBishopAmbroseParrMurphySears Substitutes: Gerken   Clarke   Bru   Tabb   Stewart   McGoldrick   N. Hunt    After seeing a far better performance vs Sheff Wed I think we should stick to the same side which started 2nd half. Bru was very impressive coming on then, but I feel Bishop demands the ball more and that helps the defence play less direct.

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Hegansheroes added 16:39 - Feb 13 Please no Tabb, S Hunt and Anderson, even on the bench
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Kesgraveblue57 added 16:39 - Feb 13 Getting ready with your excuses MM, just think positive for once
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jas0999 added 16:52 - Feb 13 As last week, a game we need to be winning if we want promotion. Appreciate Fulham have PL players, but they are also only 18th in the table and n a poor run of form. We need to start picking up away points again after two bitterly disappointing away showings. I hope Mick starts a similar team as the other day ( the one which finished). Certainly no place for Tabb or Anderson.

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blueherts added 17:21 - Feb 13 If by definition of 'Premiership'players - means they have some who played in the premier league - correct - but they are NO TEAM We , on the other hand have couple of Premiership players and ARE A TEAM If we go out and play freely with Sears , Murph and Mcg I can only see one result Oh and Bart and CBs TALK !!! when coming for the ball
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Naim1995 added 17:38 - Feb 13 We could match them up like this: GK Bartosz Bialkowski RB Jonathan Parr CB Luke Chambers CB Christophe Berra LB Tyrone Mings DMC Cole Skuse CM Teddy Bishop CM Kevin Bru AMC David McGoldrick ST Daryl Murphy ST Freddie Sears The lack of width from any wingers can be made up by Parr and Mings going forward as they so love to do and are very good at. Skuse and one of Bru and Bishop can cover the side that is vulnerable e.g. Bishop helping Skuse cover Parr/Bru helping Skuse cover Mings. Also this midfield is full of technically excellent players so we should look to outplay teams and dominate possession with speed of movement and passing, with the option of the full backs bombing forward for width. The issue of physical strength in the middle can be bypassed if needed by playing it long to Murphy to help us get a hold of the ball. The main thing regardless of what formation we play and who starts is that we must press them from the off and show them that we mean business! Thank you and good day sir!

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blueboy1981 added 17:39 - Feb 13 ........ here we go again - up against a 'world beating' Championship Team in 18th place !!!!! Quite amazing how good they ALL are when we are about to play - League positions don't lie at this stage of the season. Like it, or not. We should be able to go there and WIN, if MM puts the team out (most) of us know he has at his disposal. Go there with the attitude of 'a point is a good result' and negative tactics, and (most) of us know what is likely to happen. GO for the jugular Michael - from the OFF.

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blueboy1981 added 17:45 - Feb 13 ........ let's have no more confusion between the Keeper and Centre Back - that was the kind of mistake you expect to see on a Sunday morning the park, and even then not often. That was a Keeper's ball 100% - should have called for it, wonder if he did ??
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Gforce added 17:46 - Feb 13 FULHAM 1 FREDDIE 2.
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surgery added 18:02 - Feb 13 For fs MM is this also you're pretty match team talk? Why don't you for once try and instill on the players that they should be stuffing teams like Fulham the same as most others in our position do? They are where they are in the league because they are no good!
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bohslegend added 18:16 - Feb 13 Hilarious how many anti-MM ranters choose to ignore the fact that no sane manager in football would ever say anything negative about the opposition before a game for fear of pumping them up. Blueboy/Kesgraveblue/Hegansheroes when MM is asked before a game "What do you think of the opposition?" or "Where do you see the main threats coming from in the opposing team?" what would you think he should say?? I'd love to hear your answer. Maybe there is no answer you can give. Maybe you will just use everything MM says as a criticism.

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blueboy1981 added 18:36 - Feb 13 bohslegend .......... I will readily give you an answer : In fairness I take some of your point - BUT the flip side of the coin is that if your Manager convinces his players every game is virtually non winnable, because the opposing team is full of so called 'good' or 'exceptional' players - then it breeds the wrong mindset from the off, possibly leading to the philosophy within that a draw is always a good result. The fact is a draw is NOT always good enough - if you want to win the league we are in, or get promoted anyway. Of course, all the teams have a smattering of 'good' players in the Championship - so do we - and we are around 14 places higher than our opposition this weekend. Therefore in my book - we should go there to WIN - and expect to WIN. And NOT keep bumming everyone's players up just before we play them.

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PJH added 19:10 - Feb 13 blueboy-As usual you make a sensible case, unlike some of your followers, but can you please try to find a quote from any manager about their opposition tomorrow suggesting that the game is going to be easy? I very much doubt if you will be able to. This same argument has been going on after at least the last three pre match interviews and I honestly cannot see what else MM can be expected to say publicly. That is not to say that he is not going there with an intention of winning and indeed an expectancy to win. I am going with hope and to a certain extent expectancy of a win and (if you are going) I imagine you are also. Do you not think that there is a difference between what MM says to the press and what he says to the players(as I am sure there is with every other Manager)?

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