Team news and stats ahead of Chelsea vs Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm).

Team news

Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has failed to beat his hamstring injury in time to feature in Saturday's Premier League clash with Fulham.

The Croatia midfielder has suffered a minor setback, and could now be a doubt for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg against his former club Real Madrid.

Antonio Rudiger will also miss the Fulham clash with a minor knock.

Fulham manager Scott Parker has no new injury concerns to contend with as his side head to Stamford Bridge on Saturday looking for their first victory at Chelsea since 1979.

Captain Tom Cairney has been stepping up his recovery from a long-term knee injury which has kept him sidelined since December, and Parker is hopeful the midfielder will be able to play some role before the end of the season, although Saturday's clash will come too soon.

Terence Kongolo remains sidelined for the remainder of the season, in what has been the latest in a long list of injuries.

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How to follow

Live Premier League

Chelsea vs Fulham will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

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Last time out...

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Jones Knows prediction...

Thomas Tuchel won't admit it, but there could be some wandering eyes from Chelsea here. Of course, their top-four challenge is an important task but a chance to reach a Champions League final is within touching distance. You get the feeling Tuchel will be daydreaming about the Real Madrid game during this fixture, which looks sure to be a slow burner.

Despite their huge points difference in the Premier League, these two teams are actually quite similar in terms of style.

It's all about controlling the flow of the game while being defensively sound and quick in transition. Fulham have been affording more chances to their opposition recently but over a longer viewpoint, they are actually a tough team to break down, especially in the first half of games. Scott Parker's team have only conceded four first-half goals in their last 15 matches and have gone in at the break 0-0 in nine of their last 12 fixtures. The only team to concede fewer than them in that period of the match is Tuchel's Chelsea.

A 0-0 at the break looks a runner with Chelsea likely to edge ahead as Fulham open up after the break.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-0

BETTING ANGLE: 0-0 correct score at half-time (15/8 with Sky Bet)

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Opta stats

• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 18 home games against Fulham in all competitions (W10 D8) since a 0-2 second tier defeat in October 1979.
• Fulham have won just one of their 29 Premier League matches against Chelsea (D10 L18), winning 1-0 in March 2006 at Craven Cottage.
• Of the 374 top-flight fixtures to have been played at least 50 times, Fulham have the lowest win rate against an opponent, managing just three wins in their 51 such meetings with Chelsea (six per cent).
• Fulham are winless in their last 23 Premier League London derby matches (D5 L18) since beating West Ham 2-1 in January 2014. However, the Cottagers have avoided defeat in their last three such fixtures on the road, drawing at Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Arsenal this term.
• In Premier League London derbies this season, Chelsea have won the most games (six), the most points (19), scored the most goals (15), and conceded the fewest (four). 75 per cent of their four goals conceded were against Arsenal, with the Gunners the only side to beat them in a derby match this term.
• Chelsea have lost just one of their 14 Premier League games under Thomas Tuchel (W8 D5), having lost five of their last eight under Frank Lampard this season (W2 D1). However, the Blues have won just 43 per cent of their seven home league games under the German so far (W3 D3 L1).
• Away from home, Fulham have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League this season (13). The Cottagers have opened the scoring in six of their last seven away league games (the other finishing 0-0), but have gone on to win just two of those six matches (D3 L1).
• 64 per cent of Fulham's Premier League goals this season have come away from home (16/25). Only Manchester City in 2006-07 (65.5 per cent) have scored a higher share of their goals on the road in a single Premier League campaign (19/29).
• No player has scored more Premier League goals for Chelsea this season than Timo Werner (six). His winning goal against West Ham last time out was his first in eight league games, while he's only scored in consecutive league games for the Blues once (in November).
• Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy has kept 15 clean sheets in his 27 Premier League games this season, with only Ederson keeping more (17). Of all keepers to have started at least 25 games in Premier League history, Mendy is the only one to keep a clean sheet in more than half of them (56 per cent).

Pitch to Post Preview: Jamie Carragher on Man Utd v Liverpool; Plus: Chelsea's striker problems and Arsenal's issues on and off the field

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher joins Peter Smith to look ahead to Manchester United's Super Sunday clash with Liverpool. He assesses United's big Europa League semi-final win over Roma and where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side need to strengthen if they are to be Premier League challengers next season. Plus, he gives his verdict on Liverpool's top four hopes - and how they can come out on top in their must-win trip to Old Trafford.

Sky Sports features writer Nick Wright is also on the show, discussing Chelsea's misfiring strikers ahead of their clash with Fulham, and also offering his insight on Arsenal's Europa League semi-final defeat to Villarreal, what needs to change before next week's second leg, and the wider ownership debate which has led to fan protests. He also shares his Pitch for what he thinks will happen in the Premier League this weekend!

Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox

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