Mark Hughes fears the worst for Carlos Salcido
Fulham manager Mark Hughes says he fears the worst for defender Carlos Salcido after the knee injury he picked up due to a challenge by Aston Villa's Ashley Young.
Young launched himself into a challenge with the full back during the 1-1 draw over the weekend. It became immediately clear that Salcido had a problem with his knee and he was subsequently forced from
the field.
"It doesn't look good in fairness. He's in a boot [protective boot] at the moment.
I've seen the tackle on video and the lad's gone over the top," said Hughes.
The news will be a big blow to the club because Salcido is one of the most important players that Fulham has. The club has to start working towards his recovery straight
away.
A negative blow
This is a negative blow for Fulham because Salcido is a player who can play down either side of the pitch. This gives Hughes more options if he wants to mix up the look
of his defence. He can also switch and playing regularly in the middle of the defence if required.
Pace is a key part of Salcido's game and it's demonstrated well when Fulham plays counter attack or wide football. He can get up the pitch to provide an extra option in
attack. His pace also aids him in the middle when strikers try and turn in behind Fulham.
John Paintsil is capable of filling in at full back for the foreseeable future but the club will already be working towards Salcido's recovery. This means setting up specialist
appointments, working out a recovery schedule and booking scans to examine the extent of the knock.
"I would imagine it's ligament damage.
I don't want to say how long but it'll be a number of weeks," added Hughes.
Betting advice
Fulham's defence could start to look a little more fragile over the coming weeks. A good idea is to bet in play with Fulham games to see how the side reacts without Salcido
playing a big role in the back four.
Tags: