Barclays FA Premier League
Fulham v West Ham United
Craven Cottage
Saturday 28 September
3pm
Referee: Andre Marriner
Introduction
* West Ham United make the short trip from east to west London when they visit Fulham's Craven Cottage on Saturday for their third away game of the Barclays Premier League season.
* It will be Gianfranco Zola's first away league game since joining the club having won 3-1 in his opening league game against Newcastle United last weekend.
* West Ham United have the best home record in the Premier League but have lost both of their away games to date - at Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion.
* The club are sixth with three wins and two defeats and a plus two goal difference, but could move top with an emphatic win and if other results go their way. Fulham are eleventh with six points and could go fifth with a win.
* Zola said: "We have two players we are not 100 per cent sure about in Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole. They will be training with us on Friday and after that we will decide ... apart from that we have the same players as last time."
* Fulham captain Danny Murphy said: "I'm expecting a good game. I think any team under Zola will be a good footballing one. I don't think for a second he's going to have them launching it from the back! So I think from a spectator's point of view it will be a good game of football. I'm sure there'll be chances for both sides."
* Both clubs go into the match having been knocked out of the Carling Cup by Championship clubs on Tuesday. United lost 1-0 to Watford while Fulham lost to Burnley by the same score.
* West Ham United are unbeaten in the last six meetings against Fulham, but the hosts will know their east London opponents have not kept a clean sheet in their last 17 matches dating back to 23 February - when the club won 1-0 at Fulham.
* Fulham have not won at home against West Ham United since a 4-2 win on 15 October 1966, making a run of ten games unbeaten for the visitors.
* West Ham United are next in top-flight action on Sunday 5 October at home to Bolton Wanderers while Fulham travel to West Brom the previous day.
Last time out
Tuesday 23 September - Watford 1-0 West Ham United
West Ham United: Lastuvka, Neill, Lopez, Upson, Etherington, Boa Morte (Parker 62), Noble, Mullins, Faubert, Di Michele (Reid 71), Sears.
Subs not used: Green, Ilunga, Behrami, Collison, Stanislas.
Tuesday 23 September - Burnley 1-0 Fulham
Fulham: Zuberbuhler, Baird, Stoor, Andreasen, Konchesky, Teymourian, Ki-Hyeon (Milsom 90), Gera (Pantsil 73), Dempsey, Kallio, Johnson (Nevland 72).
Subs not used: Stockdale, Leijer, Brown.
Team news
* Zola must consider his options before naming his team for the weekend's game. Several players impressed in the midweek defeat by Watford. The manager singled out Freddie Sears for particular praise after his first 90 minutes for the senior side.
* Zola will again be without Dean Ashton who will undergo arthroscopic surgery to his left ankle next week to help assess the extent of his injury. He is set to be on the sidelines until the New Year. Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole are in contention after coming through training on Friday.
* Walter Lopez impressed on his debut against Watford so Zola must decide whether to return to Herita Ilunga, who did well against Newcastle, at left-back. Indeed, the manager could welcome back other first-team regulars including Robert Green, Scott Parker and Valon Behrami.
* Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer remain long-term absentees but James Collins and James Tomkins are getting closer after their respective knee troubles. Calum Davenport is also training again after a knock kept him out midweek and could be in contention.
* Jack Collison, an unused substitute in midweek, is over his own knee problem.
Background
* The last meeting of the clubs came at Craven Cottage on 23 February 2008, when an 87th-minute goal from Nolberto Solano was all that separated the teams. Fulham were down to ten men after Leon Andreason was sent off.
* The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Ljungberg (Spector 89), Mullins, Faubert (Solano 63), Noble, Boa Morte, Cole (Ashton 80)
Subs not used: Richard Wright, Pantsil,
Fulham: Niemi, Stalteri, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Andreasen (sent off 88), Bullard, Murphy, Dempsey (Eddie Johnson 76), McBride, Kamara
Subs not used: Keller, Bocanegra, Smertin, Nevland,
* John Pantsil, Paul Konchesky and Bobby Zamora could all face their former clubs. Zamora made 152 appearances, scoring 40 goals between February 2004 and July 2008. Konchesky made 70 appearances with two goals between July 2005 and July 2007. Pantsil spent two years at West Ham United from August 2006, making 24 appearances.
* For West Ham United, two players could potentially face their old club. Boa Morte played 250 times for Fulham, scoring 54 goals between June 2000 and January 2007 while Jan Lastuvka got 12 games in a season-long loan during the 2006/07 season.
Head to head (last six meetings, league unless stated)
23 February 2008 - Fulham 0-1 West Ham United
12 January 2008 - West Ham United 2-1 Fulham
13 January 2007 - West Ham United 3-3 Fulham
23 December 2006 - Fulham 0-0 West Ham United
23 January 2006 - West Ham United 2-1 Fulham
17 September 2005 - Fulham 1-2 West Ham United
Overall record v Fulham (all competitions): W 34, D 18, L 27
Barclays Premier League fixtures (all 3pm unless stated)
Saturday 27 September
Arsenal v Hull City (5.30pm)
Aston Villa v Sunderland
Everton v Liverpool (12.45pm)
Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers
Middlesbrough v West Bromwich Albion
Newcastle United v Blackburn Rovers
Stoke City v Chelsea
Sunday 28 September
Portsmouth v Tottenham Hotspur (1.30pm)
Wigan Athletic v Manchester City (4pm)
General information
For ticket information, click here. For details of getting to Craven Cottage click here
Weather: The forecast is for a clear and sunny day with top temperatures of around 20C.