Fulham manager Marco Silva has spoken about the return of striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is available for selection this weekend after serving an eight-match suspension.
Fulham manager Marco Silva has spoken about the return of striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is available for selection this weekend after serving an eight-match suspension.
Mitrovic was banned for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh in an April FA Cup loss to Manchester United.
The Serbia international received a three-match ban for the sending-off, three for violent conduct, and an additional two for "improper, abusive, insulting, and threatening" language.
He was also fined £75,000. Despite the severity of the ban, Silva has praised Mitrovic's conduct during the suspension. "It's been tough; I won't hide it from you. But his behaviour has been really good all this period, with support from ourselves."
Silva also admitted that the incident was unacceptable but suggested that the length of the ban was excessive. "We admitted as a club that you cannot react in that situation. It's clear, he did it, and he admitted the mistake.” “But the number of games, if you compare it with other situations, is completely different.
We as a club keep strong, and we keep supporting him,” Silva added. Mitrovic's absence has allowed Carlos Vinicius to step up and score two goals in his past three games. Silva acknowledged the Brazilian's contribution but also revealed that Mitrovic's return had given him a selection headache