Kenny Tete Out for Fulham's Clash with Manchester United
Alvaro Arbeloa will have to chase his first Premier League win as Fulham boss without Kenny Tete.
The Dutch defender has been ruled out of Sunday’s home clash with Manchester United after suffering a concussion in the recent trip to Anfield, leaving Fulham light on specialist cover at right-back.
Tete out, Sessegnon a doubt
Fulham head into the game on the back of a breathless 3-2 EFL Cup win over West Ham United, a result that injected some much‑needed momentum into Arbeloa’s early reign. The league, though, tells a different story. Arbeloa is still waiting for his first top-flight victory, and he will have to get it without one of his most experienced defenders.
“Tom is still recovering. Tete won’t be available. We need to see if Sess (Ryan Sessegnon) is available for Sunday,” Arbeloa told Fulhamish.
On Tete, he was clear. The right-back is following concussion protocols after being hit by the ball at Anfield.
“It’s a concussion after the ball hit him in the Anfield game, so he’s still not available. I think he’ll be ready for an international break. Unfortunately, he’s not ready for a Sunday.”
Sessegnon has already missed Fulham’s last two competitive matches through injury and remains a doubt. Tom Cairney is also still working his way back, leaving Arbeloa to juggle his options again for one of the marquee fixtures of Fulham’s season.
Selection picture at full-back
Tete has long been regarded as Fulham’s first-choice right-back, but that status has been less clear under Arbeloa. The 28-year-old came close to leaving in the final days of the summer window, with a move to Everton on the table before Fulham’s failure to secure a replacement forced the deal to collapse.
Even so, his absence matters. Without him, Arbeloa has no natural right-back on the bench, stripping away some tactical flexibility if the game turns chaotic against United.
On the pitch, though, little should change. Timothy Castagne is set to keep his place on the right of the back four, a role he has quietly made his own in the early weeks of Arbeloa’s tenure. On the opposite flank, Antonee Robinson is expected to continue at left-back regardless of whether Sessegnon passes a late fitness test.
Fulham’s reshaped defence has already been asked to withstand drama in the cup. On Sunday, under the Craven Cottage lights and with Manchester United in town, it faces a far harsher examination – and it will have to pass it without Kenny Tete.
