JACK KELLY

MARCO SILVA has backed Aleksandar Mitrovic to push through the “tough times” he has experienced while he has been absent for Fulham because of a lengthy ban.

The forward was slapped with an eightgame suspension for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh in Fulham’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Old Trafford in March.

But the Cottagers’ game against Leicester tomorrow will be Mitrovic’s final game out, with the hitman set to return to the squad for the following game against Southampton on Saturday.

And Silva, who was also sent off and handed a two-game touchline ban for his response towards the officials in the FA Cup defeat, says it has been a difficult spell for the Serbian international.

“It has been a tough period for him, he has been working hard, it has to be like that,” said the Fulham boss.

“The mood on some days is a little bit better than the others because he knew a month-and-a-half ago he was going to be out for eight games which is really tough for any player.

“The way it has come for us, the way everything happened as well, and the treatment behind the whole scenario, it was really tough – not just for Mitro, but for our football club. We felt something that was not good.

“We are here to support Mitro, it is up to him to keep working hard, to be the best he can be from a physical point of view. It will be good to have him again.”

Fulham host a Leicester team who remain locked in a relegation battle, with the Foxes hoping to build on their point against Everton at the King Power Stadium.

But Silva will be without stalwart defender Tim Ream and attacking midfielder Andreas Pereira, who are out for the rest of the campaign due to injury.

Fulham were widely expected to be fighting relegation this season, but Silva’s side have performed well above expectations and are getting closer to breaking their record 53 points tally in a Premier League campaign.

“We all have to be really pleased, even if the last two months, they have been tough,” added Silva. “We have to be really proud because I knew what everyone was saying at the start of the season.

“I knew that we were the favourites, and some people were without doubt that we would be the first ones to be relegated.”