Preview: Fulham vs Nottingham Forest - prediction, team news, lineups

The final Premier League fixture before Christmas Day pits Fulham and Nottingham Forest against each other at Craven Cottage on Monday night.

Only two points separate the bottom-half battlers in the Premier League table, where Sean Dyche's troops could leapfrog Marco Silva's hosts with victory in the capital.

Match preview

Starved of silverware throughout their existence - unless lower-league titles and the Intertoto Cup is factored into the equation - Fulham saw another shot at a major honour pass them by in Wednesday's gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to EFL Cup holders Newcastle United in the quarter-finals.

Silva's men succumbed to Lewis Miley's injury-time header as their Wembley dreams evaporated in the North East, although some fans may eventually be grateful for their side's elimination while the Cottagers remain close to the Premier League trapdoor.

Inconsistency has bedevilled Fulham all season long - a consequence of their extremely quiet transfer window on the incomings front - and the Cottagers reside in 15th place in the table as a result, albeit seven points clear of the relegation zone.

The Harry Wilson-inspired hosts did conquer Burnley 3-2 in gameweek 16 to snap a two-game losing run in the division, although their outrageous 5-4 reverse to Manchester City was not a typical defeat for Silva's men, who can be expected to provide the festive entertainment.

Indeed, the hosts have both scored and conceded in each of their last five games in all competitions and have also found the back of the net in nine of their 10 contests at Craven Cottage this season, only being shut out by title-chasing Arsenal.

On the other side of the coin, backing both teams to score when Forest are involved is usually ill-advised, as that outcome has only occurred once in the Tricky Trees' last seven games across the Premier League and Europa League.

That solitary instance came two Thursdays ago in their 2-1 European success over FC Utrecht, before the Garibaldi tore a timid Tottenham Hotspur to shreds at the City Ground, strolling to a 3-0 win over the Europa League winners.

Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ibrahim Sangare single-handedly slaughtered Spurs with three goals and three assists between them, as Dyche's side will remain above the dotted line on Christmas Day no matter what transpires in gameweek 17.

A penny for Ange Postecoglou's thoughts during Forest's exceptional revival, as the visitors have won six of their last eight matches in all tournaments under Dyche's leadership, suggesting that a terrible trend could be bucked on Monday.

Fulham and Forest have only ever met three times in the Premier League at Craven Cottage, and the hosts have prevailed in all three games by an aggregate score of 9-1, which also represents the visitors' worst 100% losing rate against a single opponent away from home in the competition.

Fulham Premier League form:

Fulham form (all competitions):

Nottingham Forest Premier League form:

Nottingham Forest form (all competitions):

Team News

Hit especially hard by Africa Cup of Nations call-ups, Fulham have lost no fewer than three influential players in Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze, all of whom will be representing Nigeria over the next few weeks.

Iwobi's absence could be particularly problematic if Sasa Lukic also misses out with a groin injury - the Serbian came off at half time against Newcastle - but Silva is optimistic about his chances of being fit for Monday night.

Jorge Cuenca and Kevin should be selected to replace Bassey and Chukwueze respectively, but Ryan Sessegnon (thigh) and Rodrigo Muniz (thigh) are missing for the home side.

Also impacted by the AFCON, Forest have lost one of last week's heroes - Ivory Coast midfielder Sangare - and his compatriot Willy Boly, although the out-of-favour latter may not be sorely missed.

Chris Wood (knee), Ola Aina (thigh) and Ryan Yates (thigh) complete the visitors' list of guaranteed absentees, but Taiwo Awoniyi (unspecified) is back in training and has a small chance of playing, while Nicolas Dominguez (knee) and Matz Sels (groin) are expected to be passed fit.

Dominguez is an option to replace Sangare in midfield, but a fully-fit Douglas Luiz should be at the head of the queue, and the Brazilian will likely be part of a double change with Sels replacing John Victor in between the posts.

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Tete, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Kevin; Jimenez

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:

Sels; Savona, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams; Luiz, Anderson; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus

We say: Fulham 1-1 Nottingham Forest

The losses of creative hub Iwobi and the effervescent Chukwueze will have a significant impact on Fulham's attacking flair, but Forest arrive with a weakened midfield and a proclivity for an off day - just ask Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Tricky Trees' wait for a first Premier League win at Craven Cottage will likely continue, but owing to the Cottagers' own absentees and midweek fatigue, Dyche's improving crop could still come away with a respectable point to their name.

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