Cottagers fear Diarra set-back

Martin Jol has admitted that Fulham could be without Mahamadou Diarra for the majority of the season because of a knee injury.

The 31-year-old, who had not played for Mali for more than a year, damaged his left knee when returning from international exile earlier this month and was forced to miss Fulham's 3-0 Premier League win over West Brom last weekend. Jol confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Diarra required some form of surgery and would miss at least another three weeks. But if it transpires he has damaged his cruciate ligament, he could be out for up to five months. Jol, who was expecting to learn the true extent of the damage next week, said: "There's a little piece of cartilage floating in his knee, so we have to operate that in any case, and that can be three or four weeks. "But if there is damage to his cruciate ligament, for example, it will take a lot longer. It will take him three, four, five months at least."