#PLStories- ‘Always a tough game’ – Southampton boss’ verdict on Fulham #SAINTSFC

SAINTS boss Nathan Jones has warned of the threat provided by Fulham leading scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic ahead of his side’s trip to Craven Cottage this weekend. The Serbian striker notched his tenth league goal of the campaign as Fulham cruised past nine-man Crystal Palace 3-0 on Boxing Day.  Mitrovic’s impressive return to the Premier League comes following one of the greatest Championship campaigns of all time as the 28-year-old scored 43 times in Fulham’s successful promotion last season. READ MORE: Saints' Stuart Armstrong urges for calm with 'worst thing' losing belief Three of those strikes came against Jones’ Luton Town, the new Saints boss knowing all about the threat this Fulham team provides after watching his former team get thrashed 7-0 by the Cottagers in May. Now sitting 9th in the Premier League table, it’s been a far more successful start to this top-flight campaign than the last one when Fulham were relegated with barely a whimper. “They have had real continuity there,” Jones said of Marco Silva’s side.  “They’ve gone up, they’ve come down, they’ve had a good way of playing, a lot of players who have been there regularly, been there for years. So they’ve got a lot of continuity.  “Always a tough game, they have a goalscorer that scores whatever league he plays in. It will be a tough game, it always is. We had two tough games against them last year, we were better at home, they were categorically better away. So it will be a tough game. “They’ve probably shed a few players, added a little bit more quality, and just kept that continuity. They’re a good side so it will be a tough game.” Mitrovic was a doubt to face Crystal Palace after returning from the World Cup with an ankle issue, but having played 85 minutes of the victory at Selhurst Park, the Serbian international should be fit and available on Saturday. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo. Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website. You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.