Burnley F.C.-Fulham Preview

Feb 7, 2010 - 9:20 PM JAMES PIERCY STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Roy Hodgson fears an injury crisis could derail Fulham's season as he contemplates an ever-growing absentee list ahead of Burnley's visit to Craven Cottage on Tuesday.

The Cottagers are currently missing first-team regulars Paul Konchesky, Simon Davies, Zoltan Gera and Bobby Zamora, while striker Andy Johnson has been ruled out for the rest of the season with knee trouble.

Hodgson has been forced to pitch young stars like David Elm and Kagisho Dikgacoi into the fray as his paper-thin squad reaches breaking point.

The Fulham boss admits his side must cling on while their first-teamers return to full fitness \2013 or face seeing their season fizzle out into mid-table anonymity.

Hodgson said: "We are running out of players. It is a serious situation for us.

"February is going to be a very difficult month because we are very short in a lot of areas now.

"We've got to keep fighting, battling, working hard and doing all the things we do on the training ground and hope that we can see this period through.

"We could lose momentum if we aren't very disciplined, but if you want to see the Fulham we are capable of being it's going to be March or April - when the likes of Konchesky, Davies, Gera and Zamora come back."

Nigerian midfielder Dickson Etuhu gave Hodgson a rare glimmer of positive injury news by making a welcome return to the side against Bolton at the weekend, while deadline day loan signings Stefano Okaka and Nicky Shorey have also swelled the ranks and look likely to start.

Burnley boss Brian Laws will take a side full of confidence to Craven Cottage after beating relegation rivals West Ham 2-1 on Saturday.

The win, Laws' first since taking over from the out-going Owen Coyle, propelled Burnley out of the relegation zone.

On-loan striker David Nugent continued his resurgence away from the drama at parent club Portsmouth with a well-taken goal, and believes the win has given the club the momentum to take advantage of a weakened Fulham.

Nugent said: "It was massive win against West Ham. We know how important our home games are against other teams around us so we were delighted with the result.

"But we have to pick up points away from home too and that can start against Fulham.

"They have a few players out but they are a good side at home so it will be a tough game.

"But we have the confidence of going into the game after a great win and performance so where we might have been looking at taking a point, now we are looking at winning the game."

Laws has no fresh injury worries ahead of the game and looks set to name an unchanged side, with the impressive Daniel Fox \2013 who notched a scorcher on debut against West Ham \2013 set to continue at left-back and the recalled Robbie Blake also expected to keep his place.