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Fulham have placed midfielder Tom Cairney under assessment ahead of a potential return away to Cardiff City on Saturday.

The 27-year-old has been ruled out since the end of August with a foot injury, playing just 26 minutes in the meantime having faced a set back when brought on as a second-half substitute in his side’s 3-0 loss to Everton.

After the game, Slavisa Jokanovic revealed that the club captain had appeared to be okay in the build-up to the match, leading to his brief appearance, but began to suffer pain in his ankle.

Should the international break have given enough time for Cairney’s pain to ease, this weekend’s trip to Wales will come as welcome relief to the Cottagers, with Premier Injuries currently giving him a 25% chance of playing.

Recurring pain without injury

In Fulham’s Championship Play-Off Final winning season, the club captain was ruled out for 77 days across the campaign having faced early fitness and knee problems.

Spells on the sidelines at Craven Cottage came thick and fast for the opening months, having first been struck off for two weeks on the opening day against Norwich before his return was cut short when the knee injury arose.

Finally, come February 5, the key centre mid was able to feature consistently and progress was made with Fulham seeing out the season with only five points dropped before the play-offs.

Same impact needed

Admittedly, Fulham’s run of form that ensured a play-off berth began before Cairney’s full return to the line-up, having not tasted defeat between December 23rd and April 27th, but his importance was evident nonetheless.

The centre-mid plays a pivotal role in the heart of the pitch with his ability to hold onto the ball and play killer through passes to the forwards.

Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic will be hoping to form a key partnership with the Scotland international, having so far scored five times in eight Premier League matches. That’s an incredibly potent return, but will only be sustainable with Cairney’s supply line from midfield.

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