Town set to face £18m midfielder and World Cup winner in Fulham clash
Highly-rated midfielder Mario Lemina is set to make his Fulham debut against Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup at Portman Road on Wednesday night Picture: PA SPORT - Credit: PA
Premier League Fulham look set to hand debuts to four summer signings against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Wednesday night - including an £18m midfielder and a World Cup winner.
Fulham boss Scott Parker leads his side into Portman Road on Wednesday. Picture: PA SPORT - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images
The Cottagers visit Suffolk for a second round clash in the Carabao Cup, having lost their opening top flight game 3-0 at home to Arsenal on Saturday.
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And it seems that Scott Parker’s side will be boosted by a quartet of debutants, with keeper Alphonse Areola, defender Kenny Tete, midfielder Mario Lemina and wing back Ola Aina all in line to make their first starts.
French World Cup winner Areola signed from PSG in the summer, with Tete a £3m signing from Lyon and Lemina and Aina coming in on loan from Southampton and Torino respectively.
Lemina cost the Saints £18m when he signed from Juventus in 2017.
Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who both played just under 30 minutes off the bench at the weekend, are likely to play some part too.
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Parker said: “This game (against Arsenal) came too early for those players - Alphonse (Areola), Lemina, the two boys (Kenny Tete & Ola Aina) we literally just signed.
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“They probably fit into the same category as Mitro. I’m pleased that he got 30 minutes, along with Anguissa, and on Wednesday we can get some more minutes into these players.”
Wednesday’s game kicks off at 7pm.
