Preview: Fulham vs AFC Wimbledon - prediction, team news, lineups

Fulham play host to AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Cup second round on Thursday evening.

The Cottagers got their Premier League campaign off to a losing start earlier this week with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

Match preview

With Alvaro Arbeloa at the helm, Fulham fans would have had high hopes of capitalising on a new era at neighbours Chelsea when the teams squared off at Craven Cottage.

Instead, Fulham were made to look ordinary in defence as Chelsea ran riot in the opening 49 minutes, something that will naturally concern Arbeloa even if there were positives to take from how the Cottagers performed at the other end of the pitch.

On another evening, the West Londoners would have earned a share of the spoils, with 14 shots - six of which were on target - recorded against a team tipped to challenge for Champions League qualification.

The general consensus is that Fulham need defensive additions if they are to compete for a mid-table spot and more in 2026-27, and this game will test the current depth of the squad when a trip to Sunderland is to come on Sunday.

This will be the first time that Fulham and AFC Wimbledon have met in a competitive fixture, with the last meeting coming in 2001 before the original Wimbledon moved 46 miles to Milton Keynes.

AFC Wimbledon have enjoyed an entertaining start to the new campaign, already being involved in two penalty shootouts.

Although they recently lost to Leyton Orient in the EFL Trophy via that method, they beat Newport County from 12 yards in this competition after a 1-1 draw with the League Two outfit.

As far as their start to the League One season is concerned, Johnnie Jackson's side are yet to score a goal, initially suffering a 3-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town on the opening weekend of the campaign.

However, a goalless draw with Reading on Saturday felt like a step in the right direction ahead of the short trip to Premier League opponents.

Fulham form (all competitions):

AFC Wimbledon EFL Cup form:

AFC Wimbledon form (all competitions):

Team News

Fulham are boosted by the return of Joachim Andersen after the centre-back sat out the Chelsea game through suspension.

However, the assumption is that Arbeloa will hand starts to the majority - if not all - of the players who started the previous fixture on the substitutes' bench.

That would see Kenny Tete, Ryan Sessegnon, Luc De Fougerolles, new signing Shea Charles, Harrison Reed, Emile Smith Rowe, Kevin and Rodrigo Muniz all provided with opportunities.

With games against Wigan Athletic and Burton Albion to follow in less than a week, Jackson is expected to rotate his AFC Wimbledon XI.

Goalkeeper Nathan Bishop should start between the sticks, while Andy Yiadom, Steven Sessegnon, Callum Maycock, Aron Sasu and Antwoine Hackford are in line for chances.

New signing - former Luton Town attacker Harry Cornick - is expected to be named among the replacements at best.

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Lecomte; Tete, Andersen, De Fougerolles, Sessegnon; Charles, Reed; Kevin, Smith Rowe, Palacios; Muniz

AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:

Bishop; Sessegnon, Ogundere, Johnson; Yiadom, Smith, Maycock, Nelson, Seddon; Hackford, Sasu

We say: Fulham 3-1 AFC Wimbledon

With Arbeloa likely to make a wide array of changes, we expect AFC Wimbledon to push Fulham in this contest. However, the Cottagers should have too much quality in attack to avoid losing a second game in the space of three days.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.