Marco Silva makes Fulham squad point with Palhinha suspension ahead of Brentford and Arsenal

Fulham boss Marco Silva has backed his squad to replace suspended Palhinha.

The midfielder picked up his tenth booking of the season in the Cottagers 1-1 Premier League draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

He went on to open the scoring with a spectacular long-range effort 20 minutes in during Tuesday night’s 2-0 FA Cup win over Leeds United, with Manor Solomon doubling the home side’s lead 10 minutes after the break.

But Palhinha’s caution on Saturday afternoon means the in-form Portugal star will miss Fulham’s next two matches – London derbies against Brentford on Monday and then league leaders Arsenal on Sunday.

Responding to how the team will fare without Palhinha, Silva was adamant someone will step up in his absence but admitted it’s a loss for the first team.

“Of course he will be a miss for us, he is an important player for us but another one will come in and another will do his job well for sure,” Silva said.

Palhinha joined the west London outfit from Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon in the summer and has gone on to make 24 appearances in the league, scoring three goals.