Fulham must reshuffle creative wide positions and confirm a late fitness call for Harry Wilson, changing selection and tactics for the FA Cup tie fulham vs southampton at Craven Cottage. 8: 00 a. m. ET — that pressure follows a 1–0 home loss to West Ham on Wednesday and Kevin’s season-ending ankle surgery.
Fulham Vs Southampton squad reshuffle at Craven Cottage
Kevin will miss the remainder of the campaign after ankle surgery, removing a player who contributed three of Fulham’s five FA Cup goals this season and led all Premier League players for shots taken across the previous two rounds. That vacancy forces Marco Silva to consider new starters out wide and alters how Fulham will attack in the fifth-round tie.
Marco Silva’s selection picture: defenders and midfield set
Bernd Leno is set to start in goal behind a back line likely featuring Issa Diop and Calvin Bassey, while captain Tom Cairney is expected to partner Alex Iwobi in midfield to add experience against a team that presses. Emile Smith Rowe and Oscar Bobb are named as attackers who would support Raúl Jiménez, and Silva has Samuel Chukwueze or Oscar Bobb ready to provide width if Wilson fails his late fitness test.
Southampton’s form and scoring streak raise the stakes for Fulham
Southampton arrive on a nine-match unbeaten run in the Championship and sit seventh, a sequence that raises the upset risk for a Premier League side juggling injuries. Southampton have scored in 11 consecutive matches, while Fulham have conceded in six of their last seven home games, a pair of trends that make defensive solidity a higher immediate priority for Silva.
Still, Fulham have a recent positive record against this opponent: the club has not lost to Southampton in their last four meetings and completed a league double over the Saints last season, a fact that informs selection choices and tactical caution for the cup tie.
Predicted Fulham XI supplied in team notes lists a 4-2-3-1 with Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Iwobi, Cairney; Wilson, Smith-Rowe, Bobb; Jimenez — a formation aimed at balancing defensive coverage with creative support down the flanks. For Southampton, available team sheets note different personnel, but their unbeaten run and scoring consistency remain central to how Fulham must set up.
There are three fifth-round FA Cup ties scheduled on Sunday, and this fixture is the first of those local kick-offs, increasing the spotlight on how quickly Fulham respond after their midweek defeat.
Closing: The FA Cup fixture at Craven Cottage is scheduled for Sunday, 8 March 2026, with kick-off at 12: 00 GMT (8: 00 a. m. ET). If Harry Wilson passes his late fitness test, Marco Silva could include him in the starting XI by kick-off; if he does not, Silva will start with wide players who have been marked as ready to fill the creative void.
