Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur preview - Murphy doubt for Fulham

Posted Sunday, November 06, 2011 by PA

Fulham captain Danny Murphy is a slight doubt for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash against Tottenham.

The 34-year-old came off with a slight knee complaint in the second half of Thursday's 4-1 defeat of Wisla Krakow in the Europa League, but is hopeful of featuring against his former club.

Bryan Ruiz was ineligible for the tie so will return against Spurs, as will Mousa Dembele who served a one-match European ban.

Orlando Sa (hamstring), Philippe Senderos and Aaron Hughes (both thigh) are out.

Gareth Bale will put his friendship with Martin Jol to one side and look to inflict defeat on the Fulham manager in his first encounter with Tottenham since the Dutchman left White Hart Lane in acrimonious circumstances three years ago.

Tottenham head to Craven Cottage looking to keep up their push for a top-four place by extending their unbeaten Barclays Premier League run to eight matches.

In the home dugout they will find Jol, the man whose three-year spell in north London came to a bitter end in 2007 when he was controversially replaced by Juande Ramos despite clinching two successive fifth-place finishes.

Jol was a popular figure among Spurs fans after his exploits with the club and had it not been for a now infamous bout of food poisoning prior to the club's final game of the 2005-06 season, the 55-year-old would have almost certainly brought Champions League football to the club for the first time in their history.

Jol signed Bale from Southampton as a 17-year-old full-back and he has gone on to become one of the best left-sided players in the world.

The two have kept in touch and Bale values the impact Jol made on his career, but that will not stop the Welshman attempting to put one over on his former manager.

"I've spoken to him a few times since he's been away and if we do bump in to each other we will probably have a little chat but the most important thing is concentrate on getting a win from the game so we can keep up with the teams around us," Bale told Spurs TV Online.

"He was a great manager and I think he did amazingly for the club.

"When I first came here he made me feel very welcome and he settled me down very quickly.

"I wish him all the best for the future... apart from Sunday."

Tottenham defender William Gallas could make his first league appearance of the season at Fulham after he suffered no reaction when making his comeback from a calf injury in the Europa League defeat to Rubin Kazan.

Luka Modric has a slight groin problem but should be fit while Roman Pavlyuchenko came off with a back complaint in his homeland and will be monitored over the next couple of days.

Michael Dawson (Achilles), Niko Kranjcar (thigh) and Tom Huddlestone (ankle) are all out while there are doubts over Giovani dos Santos (calf), Vedran Corluka (foot) and Danny Rose (ankle).