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Preview: Fulham vs. Norwich City

Preview: Fulham vs. Norwich
© PA Photos
Chris Hughton leads Norwich City for the first time when they face Fulham in their Premier League opener at Craven Cottage.

Chris Hughton returns to Premier League management with Norwich City on Saturday when he takes his Canaries side to Craven Cottage to face Fulham.

The former Newcastle United boss has added four new faces to the squad that Paul Lambert steered to a comfortable mid-table finish last season.

Leeds United winger Robert Snodgrass and former Rangers defender Steven Whittaker are the headline arrivals, but the latter will miss the trip to West London with an ankle injury.

Hughton will be hoping that another new signing, Sunderland defender Michael Turner, will add some steel to a back four that kept the joint fewest clean sheets in 2011-2012.

Fulham also have a quartet of new stars, but maintaining the services of sought-Moussa Dembele may prove to be Martin Jol's best piece of summer business.

The Dutchman has had no such luck in persuading Clint Dempsey to stay at the club, with the American announcing his intentions to leave earlier today. He will not be part of Jol's squad.

Both are expected to start, while Jol will choose between free transfers Hugo Rodallega and Mladen Petric to lead the Cottagers attack.

Possible lineups:

Fulham: Schwarzer; Kelly, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise; Duff, Diarra, Sidwell, Dembele; Ruiz; Petric

Norwich: Ruddy; Martin, Turner, Barnett, Tierney; Hoolahan, Howson, Surman, Pilkington, Snodgrass; Holt

Sports Mole says: 2-0

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Written by
Joe Fish

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