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• Silva targets derby win to cap more 'complete' Fulham season

  Marco Silva believes Fulham's displays have been more "complete" this season than they were last term, and he is desperate to give their fans another result to savour ahead of Saturday's West London derby at Brentford.  

  While some expected Fulham to struggle this season after talismanic striker Aleksandar Mitrovic left for Al-Hilal, they sit safely ensconced in 13th in the Premier League table with 43 points.

  Fulham have only taken four points from their last five Premier League games, though, and Silva is aware their next match carries more importance than most for supporters. 

  "These types of games are special for our fans, Silva said. "I prepare my team in the same way for every match, but we want our fans to have a good feeling after tomorrow.

  "We have to recognise that this group of players have been doing a fantastic job for this football club in the last two seasons in the Premier League.

  "With the way we have played in some matches, this season has been more complete than last season."

  Brentford, on the other hand, have fallen short of expectations this season but saw their safety confirmed before they took to the field for a 2-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park last week. 

  Thomas Frank's men are almost certain to record their lowest finish since their 2021 promotion, but forward Yoane Wissa is relieved that they can plan for another year at the top level.

  "Everyone is happy to be safe. We have been a bit unlucky this season overall in terms of the injuries and some of the results we have had," Wissa said.

  "There is always room for improvement, but we know the main aim is always to be safe.

  "We are settled as a Premier League club, but we know it is always difficult in this league. We have seen how hard it has been at times this year and we are ready to do better next season."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Brentford – Ivan Toney

  Having netted four goals in his first five Premier League games after returning from suspension in January, Toney has not scored in any of his last nine. 

  It is his longest run without a league goal since a run of 10 with Peterborough United between February and April 2019, something he will be looking to end on Saturday.

  Fulham – Timothy Castagne

  With a goal against Liverpool and an assist against Crystal Palace, Castagne is looking to register a goal involvement in three consecutive Premier League games for the second time, previously doing so in September 2020 in his first three appearances in the competition for Leicester City.

  MATCH PREDICTION – BRENTFORD WIN

  Brentford have won five of their last seven matches against Fulham in all competitions (two losses), winning their last two in the Premier League against their London rivals.

  However, since enjoying a 14-match unbeaten Premier League run in London derby matches between October 2022 and November 2023, Brentford have lost five of their last six (one draw). 

  Indeed, before this, the Bees had only lost five of their first 27 London derbies in the competition (12 wins, 10 draws).

  Fulham have lost six of their last seven away games against Brentford in all competitions, winning the other game 2-0 in November 2016 under Slavisa Jokanovic.

  Fulham have won two of their last five Premier League away games (one draw, two defeats), after only winning one of their first 12 on the road this season (four draws, seven defeats). The Cottagers are looking to win back-to-back away league matches for the first time this campaign.

  Having beaten Sheffield United 2-0 in their last outing at the Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford are targeting just their second set of back-to-back home wins in the Premier League this season, and with the pressure lifted against poor travellers, they are favourites to achieve that feat. 

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Brentford – 43.8%

  Draw – 28.3%

  Fulham – 27.9%

• CWI's Lead Selector Haynes confident in T20 World Cup squad- “We’ve got a team that can win this World Cup”

  CWI Lead Selector, Dr. The Hon. Desmond Haynes, believes the squad that has been selected to represent the West Indies at the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup set for June 1-29 in the Caribbean and the USA can replicate the performances of the region’s title-winning squads in 2012 and 2016.

  “This is a very good time in West Indies cricket. I believe that we’ve got a team that can win this World Cup and I feel damn good about this,” Haynes said in a Friday press conference announcing the squad.

  “We’ve had preparations for the last year. The majority of the players, we had them involved and they were very successful. This is a very exciting time for us and I would hope that everyone in the Caribbean and all the West Indies fans support us because this is our best chance,” he added.

  Also on hand at Friday’s press conference was West Indies Men’s ODI and T20I head coach Daren Sammy who also expressed confidence in the squad ahead of the tournament.

  “We’ve known how to select winning teams. We’ve done it before and I think, as a selection group, we’re really excited about it,” Sammy said.

  “It’s an exciting time and this preparation did not start now. It started from the last World Cup in Australia. What we’ve been able to do throughout the last year as a T20 group, the players we’ve exposed, has brought us to this moment and I think we’re about to knock it out of this world,” he added.

  Two of the standout names in the 15-man squad were pacer Shamar Joseph and Shimron Hetmyer.

  Joseph made his Test debut during the recent tour to Australia and became a worldwide phenomenon when he took a seven-wicket haul in the final innings despite an injured foot to give West Indies a dramatic eight-run win at the Gabba in the second Test. It was West Indies' first Test win in Australia since 1997.

  This will be his first opportunity to represent the West Indies in the T20I format. He’s currently getting his first crack at franchise T20 cricket as he is a member of the Lucknow Super Giants in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

  “You really can’t question Shamar Joseph’s skills. We saw him in Australia. We were looking at someone up front to bowl in the first powerplay and we think he ticks that box for us,” Haynes said.

  Hetmyer is making his return to the squad after being left out for the tour of Australia. Haynes said it was a tough time deciding whether to pick Hetmyer or Kyle Mayers.

  “It was a very close decision between Kyle and Hettie but we look at it from the point of view that we wanted the extra batsman to be one batting down the order,” he said.

  Since the start of Daren Sammy’s tenure as head coach, he has always placed an emphasis on the importance of roles in a successful T20 outfit.

  He believes that this 15-man group has covered all the necessary bases.

  “We are ready. When you look at role definition from the group we’ve selected, I think we’ve come up with the best combination to help us win this World Cup.

  The hosts will open their campaign against Papua New Guinea at Providence in Guyana on June 2.

  Full squad: Rovman Powell (C), Alzarri Joseph (VC), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

• Klopp says Salah spat a 'non-story', does not expect forward to push for move

  Jurgen Klopp says his bust-up with Mohamed Salah has been resolved and does not believe the Liverpool forward will push to follow him through the exit door at the end of the season.

  Klopp and Salah became embroiled in a heated confrontation on the sidelines during Liverpool's 2-2 draw with West Ham last week, as the out-of-form Egyptian waited to come on as a substitute.

  The Reds boss played down the incident in his post-match press conference but Salah did the opposite in the mixed zone, telling reporters: "If I speak, there will be fire."

  However, Klopp reiterated on Friday that he considers the matter closed, saying: "It is completely resolved. It is no problem.  

  "If we didn't know each other for that long I don't know how we would deal with it, but we've known each other for that long and we respect each other. 

  "I think we have the right to deal with these things completely independent of any expectations from the outside. It is a non-story. In general, everyone is in the best possible place.

  "If we win the games and score loads of goals, then the situation would not have been exactly like that because Mo would not have been on the bench in the first place."

  Last week's incident led to renewed speculation regarding Salah's future at Anfield, with the Egyptian preparing to enter the final 12 months of his contract with the Reds.

  Salah, who was the subject of a £150million bid from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad last year, has scored 17 Premier League goals this season but only three of those have come since New Year's Day.

  Before going to the Africa Cup of Nations – where he suffered a hamstring injury – Salah boasted a shot conversion rate of 21.54 per cent in the Premier League for 2023-24, netting with 14 of his 65 attempts. Since returning, he has only converted three of 35 (8.57 per cent).

  While Salah's long-term future is none of Klopp's concern, he does not see any signs of the Egypt star pushing for a move.

  "You all have to get used to the fact that is not my subject," Klopp added. "Mo, as a player, is incredible and I don't think I should speak about that. Other people will decide that, especially Mo.

  "I don't have any signs it will be like that. I just try to prepare the basis for the future."

  Liverpool host Tottenham on Sunday, with the Premier League title now surely beyond them as they trail Arsenal by five points and Manchester City – who have a game in hand – by four.