Fulham vs Southampton preview - New-look Fulham to face Saints

Posted Saturday, February 01, 2014 by PA

Fulham may have seen Dimitar Berbatov leave for Monaco, but Rene Meulensteen's side looks more than capable of beating the drop after signing the likes of Kostas Mitroglou and Lewis Holtby on deadline day.

Lying 19th in the Premier League with just 15 matches remaining and a home clash with Southampton on Saturday, the Whites have taken drastic action in a bid to avoid relegation.

Germany international Holtby was the first in the door at Craven Cottage on Friday, joining on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season.

Highly-rated Mitroglou quickly followed, arriving from Olympiacos for an undisclosed fee after Fulham saw off interest from West Ham and there was also a late swoop for Johnny Heitinga.

Meulensteen will be hoping Greece international Mitroglou can fill the void left by Berbatov, who has swapped a relegation battle with the Whites for a Ligue 1 title tilt with Monaco.

The 33-year-old arrived in west London from Manchester United in August 2012 and quickly made an impact, netting 15 goals and being named player of the season.

However, Berbatov has failed to hit the same heights this term and his agent, Emil Dantchev, last month claimed he wanted to leave Craven Cottage.

The Bulgarian forward has now got his wish, joining Monaco on loan until the end of the season, when his deal at Fulham expires.

"I'm happy, excited and a little bit nervous to be honest," Berbatov told Monaco's official website, www.asm-fc.com.

"I look forward to starting training with my new team-mates and open a new chapter in my career."

Meanwhile, Rickie Lambert will return for Southampton.

The England forward has returned to training after a hamstring complaint, while midfielder Victor Wanyama may feature for the first time since a hairline fracture in his leg.

Dejan Lovren and Gaston Ramirez are both absent due to ankle ligament injuries.