Fulham-Bolton Wanderers Preview

Feb 4, 2010 - 4:25 PM MARK HENDRY STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Fulham star Jonathan Greening believes the west London club are too good to be relegated from the Premier League, ahead of the difficult trip to Bolton on Saturday.

Greening, on a season's loan from West Bromwich, scored the only goal in the victory over bottom-placed Portsmouth in midweek to end a dire run of five successive defeats.

After Fulham had beaten Manchester United in November, a place in the top eight beckoned but a long list of injuries contributed to a sorry sequence of failures.

Greening said: "We are back in tenth place after beating Portsmouth and that gives us some breathing space.

"After a couple of defeats you start worrying and after five it knocks your confidence and self-belief.

"We have had some injuries and a lot of players including myself are playing out of position. I played left wing against Portsmouth and that is something I have not done in five or six years.

"But we have stuck at our task and although we did not play well against Portsmouth we got the points and it will give us a huge boost.

"I honestly believe we have enough good players here and enough points to stay up but we would never take anything for granted until such time as we are safe."

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson will give another chance to Italy under 21 international Stefano Okaka, who missed an easy chance to mark his Premier League debut with a goal.

Roma loan striker Okaka will get another chance at Bolton because Andy Johnson must have knee surgery which could rule him out of action for the rest of the season.

Hodgson said: "I think we have a big enough squad to cope but these last few weeks have been difficult. Now we have broken that bad run I hope it will revive our whole season."

Bolton new manager Owen Coyle is hoping for a change of fortune after winning only one match in the five since he took over from sacked Gary Megson.

Coyle said: "They say luck evens itself out in which case we should have a lot coming our way over the remainder of the season.

"Arsenal could have had players sent off in both our games with them and the same with Liverpool. Even when we beat Burnley, their Wade Elliott was fortunate to stay on after a bad tackle.

"But I am not going to beat ourselves up over it. These things happen and you have to move on."

Ivan Klasnic will miss the next three weeks with a leg injury to leave Coyle with a problem to solve about who replaces the Croatian striker.

Coyle said: "When we take on Fulham we must show the qualities of purpose and a desire to win. Mentally and physically we have been terrific in the short time I have been in charge."