SILVA HAPPY TO INVEST IN HIS HOT ROD
MARCO SILVA has insisted that Rodrigo Muniz is the main man up front for Fulham right now – even if it costs his club money.
Fulham face Tottenham this evening at Craven Cottage and if striker Armando Broja, on loan from Chelsea, does not start, they will have to pay the Stamford Bridge club £4m as part of the deal.
The contract signed in January stipulated that if the Albanian played 60 per cent or more of their games until the end of the season, Fulham would not have to pay anything. If not, they would have to stump up the £4m fee.
But 22-year-old Muniz’s hot streak of five goals in his last six games has kept Broja, who has only made four substitute appearances so far, on the bench.
He has to start every game from tonight to stop the fee being triggered but Cottagers manager Silva said: “I don’t lose half a second thinking about it. “I am here to take the decision about what is best for each game.
“If a player is in good shape and can help us win a match, that is the player that is going to be on the pitch.
“If Armando is not scoring goals or not playing right now, it is because Rodrigo is playing better than him and being more decisive in matches – if you have a player who is scoring like Rodrigo is scoring. “If Armando is a loan player, it makes no difference. If they show that they are better, they are going to play.”
Brazil coach Dorival Junior was at Fulham’s training ground last month to run the rule over both Muniz and midfielder Andreas Pereira.
In the end, the latter was named in his squad ahead of friendlies with England on March 23 and Spain three days later.