Fulham v Man Utd
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Barclays Premier League
Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Sunday, 22 August Kick-off: 1600 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, local radio, highlights on Match of the Day 2 and live on Sky Sports 1
TEAM NEWS
Fulham boss Mark Hughes is hopeful unsettled keeper Mark Schwarzer will recover from a back strain in time to face Manchester United on Sunday.
Paul Konchesky could return from an ankle problem, while new striker Moussa Dembele may begin on the bench.
Manchester United midfielder Anderson is back in training after knee surgery and is three weeks away from a return.
Rio Ferdinand's knee problem is likely to keep the defender sidelined until the end of September.
Fulham
Doubtful: Konchesky (ankle), Schwarzer (back)
Injured: A Johnson (knee), Kamara (foot), Senderos (Achilles)
Man Utd
Injured: Anderson, Ferdinand, Hargreaves (all knee)
MATCH PREVIEW
Manchester United went 45 years without defeat at Craven Cottage until last year, when they lost twice there in the space of nine months. Beaten 2-0 in March, in a game that saw Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes dismissed, the Red Devils lost last season's meeting 3-0.
An injury crisis meant United fielded a makeshift side for that match, but it is hard to recall a more comprehensive domestic defeat for Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Scot has this week backed striker Wayne Rooney to break his goalscoring drought sooner rather than later. The 24-year-old has failed to net in his last 13 games for club and country.
Mark Hughes' first home game as Fulham boss comes against his former club. On Monday night's evidence, Hughes' priority will be working out how to stop former United team-mate Paul Scholes, who masterminded the Red Devils' comfortable win against Newcastle.
As Manchester City boss, Mark Hughes lost all three league games against Manchester United, also suffering a 4-3 aggregate defeat to the Red Devils in the Carling Cup semi-finals.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• The Red Devils have won 10 of their last 12 games against Fulham in all competitions.
Fulham
• The victory at home to Manchester United last December was Fulham's only win against top-six opponents last season.
• Eleven of their 12 league wins last season came at Craven Cottage.
• Fulham scored a higher proportion of long-range goals than any other side last season.
• They scored 69% of their goals last season in the second half, the highest proportion in the league.
Man Utd
• The Red Devils had the Premier League's best away record last season, collecting 36 points on their travels despite losing five times.
• Wayne Rooney has failed to score in his last 13 matches for club and country, a run of over 18 hours. His last goal was on 30 March in the 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich.
• Sir Alex Ferguson's side have won their last five Premier League games.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Fulham
Yet to score this season
Manchester United
Berbatov: 2 (1 league); Fletcher, Giggs: 1 (1 league);
Hernandez, Valencia: 1 (0 league)
Includes goals in Community Shield
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee :
Peter Walton
Assistant referees :
Dave Bryan &
Andy Newbold
Fourth official: Lee Probert
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Fulham (D0-0 v Bolton, a):
Stockdale, Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Kelly, Davies, Etuhu, Murphy, Duff, Gera (Dempsey 74), Zamora. Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Baird, Riise, Stoor, Greening, Elm.
Man Utd (W3-0 v Newcastle, h):
Van der Sar, O'Shea, Vidic, Jonathan Evans, Evra (Rafael 87), Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani (Giggs 71), Berbatov, Rooney (Hernandez 63). Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Smalling, Carrick, Macheda.