Leeds United vs Fulham preview, team news, kick-off
Watch match highlights shortly after full time on Sky Sports' digital platforms and YouTube channel
Friday 18 September 2020 18:44, UK
Team news and stats ahead of Leeds United vs Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
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Team news
Leeds captain Liam Cooper is hoping to make his first appearance of the season in the home game against Fulham.
Cooper missed the opening-day defeat at Liverpool and the midweek Carabao Cup exit to Hull, but is fit to return after a calf injury.
Marcelo Bielsa, who has no new injury worries, will revert back to his strongest line-up after making 11 changes on Wednesday night. Bielsa confirmed club record signing Rodrigo, who made his first start against Hull, will be
among the substitutes.
Fulham boss Scott Parker has no new injury concerns.
France goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, Dutch full-back Kenny Tete and United States defender Antonee Robinson could all make their Premier League debuts after featuring in the Carabao Cup win at Ipswich in midweek.
Former Chelsea full-back Ola Aina is in line for his first appearance since joining Fulham on a season-long loan deal from Torino.
How to follow
Follow Leeds United vs Fulham in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
Watch the Premier League live on Sky Sports
One hundred and forty-six Premier League games will be shown live on Sky Sports in the 2020/21 season, with an additional six matches added in September.
The Premier League has further increased the number of televised games this season from 200 to 231, with over half of the extra fixtures set to be shown live on Sky Sports.
Overall, Sky Sports will be showing 146 Premier League matches live throughout the 2020/21 season, continuing to bring you all the latest twists, turns and shocks at the home of the Premier League.
There will also be two additional midweek programmes - one will be played across the weeks commencing January 11 and 18 and the second will be in the week commencing May 10. All of these games will be broadcast live.
You can also follow the action with our dedicated live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch free match highlights from every game shortly after full-time on our digital platforms and YouTube channel.
Opta stats
- The side playing at home has not lost any of the last eight league meetings between Leeds United and Fulham (W3 D5), winning the last three in a row. Indeed, in the Premier League, the home team has won each of the last four clashes between the two sides.
- After their 3-0 win over Fulham in June in the Championship, Leeds are looking to win back-to-back league meetings with the Cottagers for the first time since December 2003, during their last Premier League season.
- In the last 31 Premier League matches played between two newly promoted clubs, the away side has managed to win just twice (D9 L20), with both such wins coming at relegated Norwich City last season (Aston Villa 5-1, Sheffield United 2-1).
- This will be Leeds' first home game in the Premier League since their return to the division; they have only lost their opening home match in one of their previous 12 seasons in the competition (W8 D3), a 0-2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in August 1996.
- After winning their first ever Premier League game in Yorkshire (1-0 v Leeds in April 2002), Fulham have lost their last seven top-flight trips to the county by an aggregate score of 3-18.
- Leeds are looking to avoid losing both of their first two matches to a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1980-81. Indeed, their defeat against Liverpool was their first ever Premier League defeat on MD1.
- Fulham have lost 15 of their last 19 Premier League matches, with three of their four victories in that run coming in consecutive matches in April 2019.
