Premiership Trio Chase QPR Striker

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Premier League trio Fulham, Bolton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion are all in the hunt to sign Dexter Blackstock at Championship side Queens Park Rangers, according to the Daily Mirror.

QPR’s West London neighbours Fulham are believed to be favourites to sign 22-year-old Blackstock, with the Cottagers understood to have sent scouts to watch the England Under-21 International in recent weeks. However, it is now understood that the Baggies and the Trotters are also keen to bring the former Southampton player to the Premiership.

The Super Hoops want Blackstock to commit his future to Loftus Road, but the striker is unsure as to whether to sign a new deal at QPR, which has alerted Bolton, West Brom and Fulham.

Blackstock has been at QPR since joining from the Saints in 2006 and has found the net 11 times this season, with The Hoops should they decide to let the forward leave ready to ask for as much as £4million for Blackstock, who was bought from Southampton by former manager Gary Waddock for £500,000.

Fulham v Middlesbrough Premier League Preview: Can Boro End 5-Game Winless Streak Against The Cottagers?

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Fulham play Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough in the Premier League at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Roy Hodgson’s Fulham side go into this match unbeaten in their last five league outings, but 4 of those games have been draws, with the last win for the Cottagers coming against Tottenham Hotspur in November at home. Fulham are 10th in the Premier League and have only lost once at home all season in 8 matches, winning 5 and drawing the other 2 games.

Boro go into this clash on the back of a good 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Riverside Stadium last week, but have not won in their last 5 Premiership matches, with 3 draws and defeats to Hull City and Bolton Wanderers. Southgate will be hoping that Middlesbrough can get back to winning ways at Craven Cottage on Saturday and start to climb from their 12th place in the table.

Fulham will be strikers Bobby Zamora (thigh) and Diomansy Kamara (knee) for the visit of Boro, while Andranik Teymourian (knee) and Seol Ki-Hyeon (knee) are also ruled out of this clash for the Cottagers.

Southgate is without summer signing Justin Hoyte (knee) and Rhys Williams (knee), with Gary O’Neill and striker Mido to face late fitness tests for hamstring injuries along with Andrew Taylor, who is struggling to shake off a knee injury in time for the trip to London.

Fulham: (from) Schwarzer, Paintsil, Konchesky, Hangeland, Johnson, Nevland, Gera, Murphy, Gray, Hughes, Zuberbuhler, Etuhu, Bullard, Stoor, Dempsey, Davies, Andreasen, Leijer, Brown, Kallio, Baird, Smalling, Watts

Middlesbrough: (from) Turnbull, Taylor, O’Neill, Riggott, Pogatetz, Digard, Mido, Aliadiere, Emnes, Alves, Huth, Shawky, Tuncay, Downing, Arca, Jones, Bates, Johnson, McMahon, Wheater, Porritt, Owens, Hines, Grounds, Walker

Hodgson Concedes That Spurs, Arsenal & Liverpool Target Could Leave The Cottagers

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Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has admitted that it will be hard to hold on to defender Brede Hangeland in the January transfer window, should a big Premier League club come calling, with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all reportedly linked with the Norwegian International.

27-year-old Hangeland joined Fulham in January from FC Copenhagen and has been a pivotal figure for the Cottagers in the Premiership this season. Hangeland has twice been voted Fulham’s Player of the Month this season, with his performances for the West London club attracting the interest of the Gunners and Spurs along with Rafa Benitez’s Reds team, who were linked with a move for Hangeland in 2007, while the Norwegian was at Copenhagen.

Hangeland cost Fulham just £2.5million, but despite Hodgson having no intention of letting the defender leave Craven Cottage. The former Inter Milan manager has conceded that if a “serious offer” should come in for the player, Fulham would have to give it consideration.

Hodgson told the press: “If a serious offer comes our way for Brede I'm pretty sure it'll have to be considered.

“When the day comes we'll have to take into account all the possibilities and probabilities and make a decision.

“But I would hope - and this might be a naive hope - that we could still keep him because he's got a long-term contract with us here.

“I know he's happy here and happy with his football, so hopefully it hasn't affected his thinking because I don't know what he reads into that type of speculation.”

However, Hodgson also revealed that while Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham have been linked with Hangeland in the press. There is still no indication that any of the trio are interested in the Norwegian captain.

“But at this stage we have absolutely no indication that Arsenal or any club of that stature are interested in Brede,” Hodgson added.

Sweet & Sour Injury News For Liverpool Boss Benitez

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has revealed that he expects Republic of Ireland International Robbie Keane to be fit to face Fulham at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday, but captain Steven Gerrard is a major doubt for the visit of the Cottagers.

Keane, who injured his shoulder in the win against Bolton Wanderers at the weekend has withdrawn from the Ireland squad to face Poland this week, but Benitez has insisted that the withdrawal from the Irish squad was merely a precaution.

“Robbie Keane's injury is not serious,” Benitez told the club's official website.

“He had a problem but [withdrawing from the international duty] was just a case of prevention. I think he will be okay.”

However, the Reds boss will be without his skipper Gerrard after a groin strain forced the midfielder to pull out of Fabio Capello’s squad to face Germany in Berlin on Wednesday.

Benitez believes the Champions League clash with Marseille is a more realistic target for Gerrard, who will be out for 7-10 days after having a scan.

“Steven had a scan and he will be out for seven to ten days, depending on how he progresses,” added Benitez.

“He could be back for the Marseille game but each player is different. We have to start working with him and see how he does.”

Fulham v Spurs Premiership Preview: Can The Cottagers End The Redknapp Tottenham Honeymoon?

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Fulham play, Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

The Cottagers go into this clash on the back of a win against Newcastle United at home last weekend, but lost to Everton at Goodison Park the week before. Fulham have only been beaten by West Ham United at Craven Cottage, but their lack of a win on their travels sees the West London club in mid-table, with manager Roy Hodgson aware that Fulham must start to pick up points on the road as well as at home or possibly face a repeat of fighting for their Premiership survival again.

Spurs will go into this London derby full of confidence, with the North London club unbeaten since Redknapp took over at White Hart Lane. Wins against Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premiership along with a draw against Arsenal have seen Tottenham climb out of the relegation zone. With Spurs also beating Liverpool again 4-2 in the Carling Cup on Wednesday as the Redknapp revolution starts to gather pace at Tottenham.

Hodgson is unable to call on Seol Ki-Hyeon, summer signing Andranik Teymourian and Diomansy Kamara, who all have knee problems for the visit of Spurs. Jimmy Bullard is likely to partner captain Danny Murphy in the centre of midfield, with Andy Johnson and former Tottenham player Bobby Zamora set to lead the attack for the Cottagers.

As well as being on an unbeaten run at Tottenham, Redknapp also has a fully fit squad to choose from for the game with Fulham, with only keeper Heurelho Gomes a doubt after the Brazilian was stretchered off in the 4-2 win against Liverpool with a head injury.

One dilemma facing Redknapp is who to bring back in and who to leave out, with the former Portsmouth manager resting Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate, Luka Modric, Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley and 11-goal Darren Bent for the Carling Cup game. With summer signings Roman Pavlyuchenko and Fraizer Campbell both netting a brace against the Reds and Dawson looking assured in defence in a 4-4-2 formation, which worked just as effectively as the 4-5-1 system Redknapp has employed when Bent is in the team.

Fulham: (from) Schwarzer, Konchesky, Paintsil, Hangeland, Johnson, Zamora, Nevland, Gera, Stockdale, Murphy, Gray, Hughes, Zuberbuhler, Etuhu, Bullard, Stoor, Dempsey, Davies, Andreasen, Leijer, Milsom, Brown, Kallio, Baird, Smalling, Watts

Tottenham Hotspur: (from) Gomes, Hutton, Bale, Zokora, Bentley, Huddlestone, Lennon, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Bent, Gilberto, Stalteri, Modric, Ghaly, Gunter, Giovanni, Campbell, Taarabt, Dawson, Cesar, Corluka, Boateng, O’Hara, Assou-Ekotto, Rocha, Woodgate, Bostock, Dervite