Claudio Ranieri plans Fulham rotation
January 6, 2019
Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri plans to make changes to his starting line-up for Sunday’s FA Cup third-round clash with Oldham.
The Cottagers have shown signs of improvement of late as they have only lost one of their last four matches in the Premier League, although they remain second-bottom of the standings and four points adrift of safety.
Sunday’s cup tie at Craven Cottage may come as something of a distraction for Ranieri’s side and the Italian has confirmed he will make changes to his team for the visit of managerless Oldham, who currently sit 10th in the League Two standings.
“For this match I want to give some rest to the players involved so many times and give the chance to other players who train very well and they deserve to show their best,” Ranieri told reporters.
The 67-year-old is certainly prioritising Premier League survival over cup progress, although he acknowledges an extended run in the FA Cup could act as a catalyst to their form in the league.
“The FA Cup is a very good competition, but we have to say at this moment the Premier League is more important,” Ranieri added.
“But that doesn’t mean we go there to make a friendly match; it’s an FA Cup match and we want to win. It could [help our league ambitions]. When you win, everything is better.”
Fulham are priced at 1.33 to win Sunday’s match, while Oldham are available at 9.00 to cause a cup upset and the draw is on offer at 5.50.
