ELANGA IS A NEW WORRY FOR FOREST
LIVERPOOL FULHAM Kelleher Leno Bradley Tete
Konate Adarabioyo Van Dijk Diop
Gomez Robinson Elliott Cairney
Mac Allister Palhinha Jones Wilson
Jota Pereira Nunez Decordova-reid
Diaz Jimenez
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MARCO SILVA says Raul Jimenez is enjoying a new lease of life after finally breaking his Fulham duck.
The Mexico international continued to bang in the goals for his country following his £5million move to Craven Cottage in summer yet could not open his Fulham account.
But he found the back of the net against Aston Villa on November 12, ending a 20-month Premier League drought, and that sparked a run of five goals in the final seven games of 2023.
And Fulham boss Silva
(above) expects that run to continue at Liverpool tonight in the first leg of their Carabao
Cup semi-final. “I cannot hide the fact that his goal against Villa, even if it did not help us get points, was a weight off his shoulders,” Silva said.
“When you go 10 or 11 months without a goal in the Premier League, you can imagine the impact. If you are a striker and you don’t score in six, seven, or eight games it can have a big impact. So imagine if you are 11 months without scoring a Premier League goal and everyone is talking about it.
“Each game you don’t score it’s the same conversation so imagine what is going on in his mind. He is not really a player who looks at social media but, even if you don’t look, the bad things come to you. The good things don’t come so quick.”
Former Everton manager Silva insists he is not surprised that
Jimenez eventually rediscovered the scoring touch.
“He plays without any fear,” the Portuguese said. “He keeps fighting for every ball, giving us a platform that sometimes we need. He is still the same player who signed for us last July. We really believed he could help us to be stronger when we signed him.” Jimenez, 32, spent nine months out with a head injury between November 2020 and August 2021 when he was at Wolves. And Silva said: “He had a difficult spell after the bad injury so to come back from that shows he is a guy with a really strong character. I am really pleased for him. He deserves the credit because he has worked really hard.
“That confidence between players and fans is really important for him as well. Now everyone recognises he is important for us.”
Fulham are bidding for a quick-fire Merseyside double. They beat Everton, Silva’s old club, on penalties in the quarterfinal but Jimenez (left) missed that tie.
In the Premier League Fulham led 3-2 with just 10 minutes left at Anfield in December but ended up on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline, with the Reds equalising through Wataru Endo before Trent Alexander-arnold fired a late winner.
EXCLUSIVEBY
BOBBY DE CORDOVA-REID is eyeing another cup upset ahead of Fulham’s semi-final showdown with Liverpool.
The Cottagers may be on new ground after advancing to the final four of the competition for the first time, but De Cordovareid has plenty of cup pedigree. He and home-town club, Bristol City, claimed the scalps of four top-flight clubs – including Manchester United – during the 2017/18 campaign before they were beaten in the Carabao Cup semifinals by Manchester City.
“It was an enjoyable time,” he said. “The quarter-final against Manchester United was massive, and put us in a place where we actually believed we could go far.
De Cordova-reid (above) and Co are under no illusions about the challenge posed by Jurgen Klopp’s league leaders.
He added: “We understand what they bring to the table. They’re a big club and good team, but we still fancy our chances and we’ve got to believe that we can go through.
“It’s an opportunity for us to go out there and showcase our talent against bigger opponents.”
NOTTINGHAM FOREST have been dealt a further injury blow after Anthony Elanga was ruled out of their next game.
The winger (below) went off with a knock in the win over Manchester United 10 days ago and missed Sunday’s FA Cup draw with Blackpool.
Boss Nuno Espirito Santo will be without the 21-year-old for the replay against the Seasiders next Tuesday.
And the Sweden ace, who has set up 10 top-flight goals this season, may not be ready for Forest’s next Premier League game against Brentford a week on Saturday.
Forest are already without striker Taiwo Awoniyi after groin surgery, while Divock Origi has also missed their last two games through injury.