Team News: Fulham, Stoke City made widespread changes

“Pete needed that game”.

Mark Hughes’ side ultimately held firm to progress at Craven Cottage – as well as secure their first victory this season since a penalty shootout triumph over Luton Town in August in the previous round.

Fulham provided a stern examination of a Stoke side that showed eight changes from their draw with Leicester at the weekend, and Kit Symons’ men came close to taking the game into extra time.

Given was nearly punished for a sloppy late clearance as Lasse Vigen Christensen fired a lob just wide, and the midfielder was then denied by the veteran Stoke goalkeeper with a smart stop at the far post.

“It just would not go in for us but there are a lot of positives to take”.

Fulham were not finished and the 6ft 7in defender Dan Burn, thrown up in an attempt to give some height to the attack, hit the crossbar, but Stoke’s defence clung on to let them claim a place in the last 16.

“We wanted to win but it was one of those we didn’t want 120 minutes going into Friday, even though we tried to get a goal at the end”.

“Both clubs are fighting to go back up again”.

Stoke City are 18th on the English Premier League table with two points from six games, and the Nigerian would be hoping for his first English topflight action when they host AFC Bournemouth at the Britannia on Saturday. For us and the fans it is a really big game.