Kenny Tete Misses Manchester United Clash
Fulham’s preparations for Sunday’s meeting with Manchester United have taken a hit, with Alvaro Arbeloa confirming Kenny Tete will miss the clash at Craven Cottage.
The Dutch defender, long regarded as Fulham’s premier right-back, is sidelined under concussion protocols after taking a blow to the head in the recent trip to Anfield. The incident has ruled him out of the weekend, denying Arbeloa both a trusted option and valuable depth in a key area of the pitch.
“Tom is still recovering. Tete won’t be available. We need to see if Sess (Ryan Sessegnon) is available for Sunday,” Arbeloa said, speaking to Fulhamish.
On Tete, he added: “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.”
It’s a frustrating setback for a player whose Fulham future already carried a hint of turbulence. Tete looked close to joining Everton late in the summer window, only for the move to collapse when Fulham failed to secure a replacement. He stayed, but under Arbeloa he has not reclaimed the automatic starting berth he once enjoyed.
That context softens the immediate blow. Arbeloa has already shifted the hierarchy at right-back, with Timothy Castagne installed as the current starter on that flank. The Belgian is expected to keep his place in the back four against United, with Tete’s absence felt more on the bench than in the initial XI.
The real issue is cover. Without Tete, Arbeloa goes into a high-intensity fixture with no natural right-back among his substitutes, limiting his flexibility if the game turns chaotic or if Castagne runs into trouble.
On the opposite side, Antonee Robinson will continue at left-back, a constant in Arbeloa’s early Premier League line-ups. Even if Ryan Sessegnon proves his fitness in time, the England international is likely to be eased back rather than thrown straight into a starting role after missing Fulham’s last two competitive matches.
All of this unfolds against the backdrop of a team trying to ride the wave of a dramatic midweek. Fulham’s 3-2 EFL Cup win over West Ham United injected energy and belief into Arbeloa’s tenure. Now comes the harder part: turning cup adrenaline into league momentum and delivering his first Premier League victory in charge.
United’s visit offers both danger and opportunity. Arbeloa will go into it without his senior understudy at right-back and with doubts over Sessegnon, but with a settled back four and a fanbase still buzzing from a comeback thriller.
This is the kind of afternoon that can accelerate a new manager’s project—or remind him how thin the margins are when key pieces are missing.
