Kenny Tete to Miss Fulham vs Manchester United Clash

Alvaro Arbeloa has confirmed that Kenny Tete will miss Fulham’s Premier League clash with Manchester United on Sunday, dealing a defensive blow just as momentum seemed to be building in West London.

Fulham step back into league action on the back of a breathless 3-2 EFL Cup win over West Ham United in midweek, a tie that briefly lifted the mood and gave Arbeloa his first real statement result since taking charge. Now comes the harder part: turning that cup surge into his first Premier League victory.

He will have to do it without his senior right-back.

“Tete won’t be available,” Arbeloa told Fulhamish, outlining a growing injury list before United’s visit. “Tom is still recovering. We need to see if Sess (Ryan Sessegnon) is available for Sunday.”

The update on Tete was blunt and worrying, but clear.

“It’s a concussion after the ball hit him in the Anfield game, so he’s still not available,” Arbeloa said. “I think he’ll be ready for an international break. Unfortunately, he’s not ready for a Sunday.”

Tete has long been regarded as Fulham’s first-choice right-back, a steady presence and a regular outlet down the flank. That status has already been under scrutiny in the early weeks of Arbeloa’s reign, with the Dutchman no longer the automatic pick he once was.

His future briefly looked destined to lie elsewhere. In the final days of the summer window, Tete appeared close to joining Everton, only for the move to collapse when Fulham failed to secure a replacement. He stayed. His role, though, has shifted.

For Sunday at least, his absence strips Arbeloa of depth more than it changes his blueprint.

With Tete sidelined and no natural right-back option on the bench, Timothy Castagne is set to keep his place on the right side of the back four. The Belgian has already begun to establish himself as Arbeloa’s preferred option there, and this latest setback for Tete only reinforces that hierarchy.

On the opposite flank, Antonee Robinson will continue at left-back. Even if Ryan Sessegnon proves his fitness in time, the American’s form and reliability mean his spot is secure, leaving Sessegnon fighting for minutes rather than a guaranteed return to the XI.

So Arbeloa goes into his first meeting with Manchester United as a Premier League manager with a clear defensive shape but a thinner bench, especially in wide defensive areas. The cup win over West Ham has given Fulham a jolt of belief. Now the question is whether this patched-up back line can withstand United long enough for that belief to turn into three league points.