Fulham vs Crystal Palace – News and Probable Lineups

Two teams sitting in the lower half of the Premier League will turn their attention to the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday evening, as Fulham hosts Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage.

Despite recent performances alleviating some of the pressure on Alvaro Arbeloa, there are emerging questions regarding Pierre Sage’s position at Selhurst Park.

Match overview

Arbeloa was one of the early names mentioned as a candidate to be the first Premier League manager dismissed after a rocky start to his tenure at Fulham, but a single defeat in his last six games across all competitions (W3 D2), which includes two consecutive league wins, has improved morale at Craven Cottage.

The West London side began the 2026-27 season without a win in their first six league matches, but they have since managed morale-boosting 1-0 victories over newly-promoted teams Hull City and Coventry City, with Oscar Bobb scoring an 80th-minute winner to clinch the points at the CBS Arena last weekend.

Currently placed 15th in the Premier League, above teams like Manchester United, Fulham also triumphed in the third round of the EFL Cup last month, achieving a 3-2 away win against West Ham United. Bobb also netted the decisive goal in that thrilling encounter following first-half goals from Rodrigo Muniz and Cesar Palacios.

Before venturing to Aston Villa in the league on Saturday, Fulham will aim to reach the EFL Cup fourth round for the third time in four seasons when they confront Crystal Palace this week; they were eliminated by Newcastle in the quarter-finals last season after making it to the semi-finals in 2023-24.

However, Fulham will need to be cautious given their recent history against Palace, having lost four out of five of the last encounters with the Eagles (D1), including a 3-2 defeat at home in the Premier League just over seven weeks ago.

After taking over from Oliver Glasner as the head coach of Crystal Palace just four months ago, Pierre Sage is reportedly clinging to his role, especially following a fifth Premier League defeat in eight matches that has left the Eagles in 17th place on the table.

The Selhurst Park crowd expressed their discontent as Sage and his charges were booed off the pitch following another lackluster display in a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle on Sunday, just a week after suffering a heavy 5-0 loss to Brighton, their M23 rivals.

With reports surfacing about potential candidates to replace Sage, the French manager has claimed that the speculation surrounding his position is “normal” and is confident that he still has the backing of the players and the club’s management to quickly rectify their current situation.

Palace has a challenging set of fixtures coming up against Tottenham, Hoffenheim (Europa League), and Liverpool, but they must first focus on a potentially advantageous midweek fixture at Craven Cottage, where they have been unbeaten in their last nine visits across all competitions (W6 D3), with four consecutive wins by a combined score of 10-3.

The 2025 FA Cup winners, who successfully eliminated Middlesbrough with a 3-0 scoreline in the EFL Cup third round last month, aim to progress beyond the fourth round for the third consecutive year, after having failed to go past this stage for twelve straight seasons previously.

Defensive vulnerabilities continue to be a significant concern for Palace, as they have surrendered 24 goals in all competitions this season, which includes a Premier League-high of 19. They have also allowed a total of 50 goals in 2026, the highest in the league, and six more than they conceded during the entirety of the previous year (44).

Team News

Fulham’s left-back Ryan Sessegnon will miss this match as he serves the second game of a three-match domestic ban, while Emile Smith Rowe, who hasn’t been favored, remains a doubt after he was unavailable for the win against Coventry due to unspecified ‘issues’.

New signing Hugo Larsson made his first Premier League start last weekend after returning from injury, but he could face competition for his place in midfield from Sander Berge.

Arbeloa might look to refresh certain positions in his lineup, with Benjamin Lecomte, Kenny Tete, former Palace player Joachim Anderson, Tom Cairney, Kevin, and Rodrigo Muniz all vying for starting spots.

For Crystal Palace, defenders Chadi Riad (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) along with midfielder Quinten Timber (thigh) will all remain out due to injuries.

Jorgen Strand Larsen (knock) and Ismaila Sarr (groin) both missed the defeat to Newcastle and will be evaluated prior to kickoff, along with goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who has been sidelined for the last nine matches due to an ankle injury.

Tyrick Mitchell scored two goals in the recent Premier League victory over Fulham last month, but Ben Chilwell – who also netted in that game – is expected to take his place at left wing-back, while Oscar Mingueza, Honest Ahanor, Jefferson Lerma, Will Hughes, and Eddie Nketiah may also be in contention for starting roles.

Fulham probable starting XI:

Lecomte; Tete, Anderson, Bassey, Robinson; Charles, Berge; Kevin, King, Palacios; Muniz

Crystal Palace probable starting XI:

Blessedness; Lerma, Ahanor, Richards; Mingueza, Wharton, Hughes, Chilwell; McNeil, Guessand; Nketiah

Both teams have faced difficulties in their campaigns so far, yet Fulham seems to be finding their form just as a defensively weak Crystal Palace appears to be struggling further.

A tightly contested battle in the capital may end in a draw after 90 minutes, but we expect the Cottagers to maintain their composure during penalties and advance to the fifth round.