Competition: Premier League

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025

Kickoff: 3:00 PM BST

Venue: Craven Cottage, London

Team News

Leeds United

• Leeds has a major boost as captain Ethan Ampadu has returned to training and is ahead of schedule in his recovery from an MCL knee injury. A late decision will be made on his availability, but he is no longer ruled out.
• Goalkeeper Lucas Perri is a confirmed absentee after suffering a quad strain and is expected to miss the next two matches. Karl Darlow is expected to start in his place.
• Forwards Lukas Nmecha (foot) and Joel Piroe (calf) both picked up knocks and missed recent training sessions, making them doubts for the match.
• Ao Tanaka has also returned to training and could be available for selection.

Fulham

• Fulham's squad is nearing full fitness. Defender Issa Diop has returned to contention after a knock.
• Antonee Robinson is also back and expected to start at left-back.

Manager & Pundit Quotes

Daniel Farke (Leeds United)

• On the returning players: "Both since the beginning of this week have reintegrated and joined in major parts of team training. Ethan even more so than Ao, because he was slightly ahead in terms of schedule. We have 48 more hours to take a late decision with them, it's possible we travel with both of them, just take one or neither to Fulham.”
• On the goalkeeping situation: "How Karl [Darlow] kept his nerve and performed at the end of last season in the crunch-time period was outstanding and in pre-season he looked unbelievably sharp... he knows the Premier League inside out and is not a guy that cracks under pressure and for that he has all of our backing and confidence."
• On the team's philosophy: "A good balance will always be important but we won't change our DNA. We had games against Newcastle and Everton not parking the bus. We were dominating in many periods of the game. We played attacking football but we still needed a good structure and good work against the ball."

Marco Silva (Fulham)

• On the upcoming match: "We are going to face a stronger Leeds outfit than the one we met last year. They have made some very good additions to their squad. We know it will be a proper cup tie against a team with a new manager. We've watched their games against Arsenal and Newcastle, and they have shown they are capable of dominating teams in periods of the game. We will have to be ready to match their intensity."
• On his team's form: "The games, they have been very balanced, decided by the detail against very good side[s]. We have been pleased for the reaction, pleased how we came back in the second half against Manchester United after a goal that should be disallowed. Pleased for the way that we finished the game, pleased with the way the players came in and performed and the way that we played against a big team like Manchester United again."

Pundit Predictions & Analysis

• The Independent: The Independent's analysis points out that Fulham will be looking to get their first win of the season after two draws and a loss. They note that Fulham will be looking to "exploit Leeds' shaky defence, especially after that 5-0 thrashing by Arsenal." They also mention that Fulham's solid backline should be a key factor against an unpredictable Leeds attack.
• BBC Sport (Chris Sutton): "For once, I am very confident I will get this prediction right. Leeds might fancy their chances at Craven Cottage but you only have to look at their respective squads to see the difference in quality between the two sides, player for player... Leeds just don't have that kind of depth and they were well beaten on their last trip to London, a 5-0 defeat at Arsenal a couple of weeks ago. This will be closer, but with the same end result." Sutton's official prediction is a 2-0 win for Fulham.
• The Guardian: The Guardian's analysis highlights that both teams have shown defensive vulnerabilities in their opening fixtures. They note that Fulham have gone 12 league games without a clean sheet and that Leeds conceded five goals across their three league encounters. They suggest that both sides will create opportunities and that consistency remains elusive for each team.
• Sky Sports (Jones Knows): "A thrilling encounter in September saw the Whites defeat the Cottagers 4-3 at Elland Road... I believe Fulham might just have the edge at home." He's tipping the game to have over 2.5 goals.

Head-to-Head

Fulham has had the upper hand in recent meetings, winning each of the last three encounters with Leeds across all competitions. This includes a 2-1 Premier League victory at Craven Cottage in April 2023 and a 2-0 win in the FA Cup in February 2023. Fulham is looking for their fourth successive victory in this fixture for the first time ever.