Premier League preview: Swansea v Fulham

Fulham will be hoping to build on their 1-0 triumph over Liverpool when they visit Swansea in the Premier League on Saturday.

Martin Jol’s side recorded their first league win in more than a month on Monday when Clint Dempsey seized upon an error from Pepe Reina to score a late winner at Craven Cottage, easing the pressure on Jol, whose team are 13th in the league.

Swansea, meanwhile, are 15th – one point behind Fulham – but they have not won since their 3-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers on October 29, and in their most recent outing they were beaten 4-2 at lowly Blackburn.

Of the two managers, Jol has the more extensive injury list, with winger Damian Duff (calf) and midfielder Danny Murphy (ankle) both under fitness clouds, while defender Zdenek Grygera is a long-term casualty with a knee injury.

Steve Sidwell has not played since Fulham’s 3-1 loss to Spurs in October, but Jol is optimistic he will be ready to resume against Swansea after a hernia operation.

“Hopefully he (Sidwell) can be fit for the next game,” Jol said.

“He needed a minor operation and they told me maybe he would play the next match after 10 days, but he still feels it.”

“It’s still painful after the operation. Hopefully he will be OK.”

Fulham’s Welsh midfielder Simon Davies is definitely out of the clash, although the 32-year-old is nearing a return to first-team football after suffering a knee injury in a Europa League tie in June.

Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers has problems of his own with striker Danny Graham hampered by an Achilles tendon problem, while Angel Rangel has an ankle injury and Alan Tate is a long-term absentee with a broken leg.

Midfielder Joe Allen is suspended after being sent off in the Blackburn match.