Fulham manager Marco Silva said Jay Stansfield is ready to fight for a Premier League place after his side’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win against Birmingham.
But Silva admitted he cannot guarantee the England Under-21 international will still be at Craven Cottage by the end of the week.
Stansfield refused to celebrate his goal on his return to Birmingham as Fulham cruised into the third round.
The 21-year-old forward, who was Birmingham’s player of the year and 13-goal top scorer last season, netted after 14 minutes after Raul Jimenez’s 10th-minute penalty gave Fulham the lead.
“I’m almost 100 per cent sure that he’s going to be our player but I cannot guarantee that because it’s difficult to control the market,” said Silva.
“We have a plan for Jay. Two seasons ago it was clear he needed first-team football and he went to League One and he proved his quality there.
“Last season he made another step and he proved his quality at this club and in Championship football.
“The plan for him is to be part of our squad. It’s really tough to be part of the 11 in the Premier League, but he’s ready to fight for it.”
Silva also defended the 11 changes he made.
“I know it’s a big number and we had six debuts and some of the connections weren’t what they need to be in the future,” he said.
“But we were solid and clinical and ruthless in the way we punished them in the first two or three moments.”
Jimenez kept his nerve to coolly roll his penalty to the right of goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, who went the opposite way, after a handball by City left-back Alex Cochrane.
Stansfield controlled a long pass from new signing Joachim Andersen and curled the ball into the far corner.
The youngster refused to celebrate out of respect to the club where he spent last season and was applauded by the City fans.
Birmingham manager Chris Davies hit out at the decision to award the penalty.
“We started brightly but the penalty was an extremely difficult decision to accept,” he said.
“I know how hard it is for referees and officials and things happen quickly but if that was looked at by VAR then surely it would have been overturned.
“It was not a handball. Against a side like Fulham, to concede the first goal makes things difficult but the response was excellent.
“I thought we were the better team overall.
“We switched off from the striker run from Jay Stansfield and although it was a good finish, I felt it was against the run of play.
“Overall my overriding feeling is pride in the players for their work ethic, their attitude, the belief and the bravery they showed and for the quality of our play.”
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. PORTUGAL WIN THE UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE ON PENALTIES Nuno Mendes 😎 Anti Right Winger Morata : Me again? Congratulations Portugal & Ronaldo Kepa in Arsenal be like I am sorry. Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: BleacherReportFootball, Justtoonit, originaltrollfootball)...
PSG get talks underway with Bournemouth for ZabarnyiFabrizio Romano reports that PSG are determined to sign Ilya Zabarnyi this summer. While talks are underway with Bournemouth, the two clubs have not yet reached an agreement. The player remains keen to join Les Parisiens.Everton join Newcastle in race to sign GrealishEverton are interesting in acquiring the services of Manchester City outcast Jac...
WHAT HAPPENED?Napoli striker Osimhen has reportedly made up his mind on his future, and it seems like it won't include a sensational move to the Middle East. This comes from a scoop from journalist Buchi Laba, who reports that Osimhen has rejected a fifth offer from Saudi side Al-Hilal and would rather continue his career in Europe.THE BIGGER PICTURELaba claims that Osimhen is not interested in a ...
France captain Kylian Mbappe says he is satisfied with his side bouncing back from their Nations League loss to Spain in the third-placed play-off.Les Bleus finished the campaign with a win over Germany, thanks to goals from the Real Madrid star and Michael Olise.And while there was a lot to like about the French performance in Stuttgart, Mbappe took a balanced approach to things in his post-match...
WHAT HAPPENED?The German club have asked to be kept up to date on Sancho's situation, with the Man Utd outcast being touted as a possible replacement for Chelsea target Jamie Gittens, as per Sky Sports. Sancho has already re-joined the club from Manchester United once - a six-month loan spell at the end of last season - and could yet return for a third spell with the German giants. Chelsea paid a ...
Jobe Bellingham of Sunderland celebrates getting promoted back to the Premier LeagueEngland U21 midfielder Jobe Bellingham has agreed terms to leave Sunderland for Borussia Dortmund in a deal reported at around 331 million including add-ons.The Bedlington-born starlet joins the German club on a five-year contract following Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League.Dortmund has reportedly agreed...
Brian Priske has chosen to return to Sparta PragueBrian Priske has returned to Sparta Prague to take up the position as head coach, say the Czech club on their website."We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new head coach. We welcome Brian, who knows the environment in the club. We strongly believe that he will build on the successful work he has delivered in the past and help Sparta w...
Borussia Dortmund keen on signing Jadon SanchoBorussia Dortmund are weighing up a fresh move for Jadon Sancho amid uncertainty over his future at Manchester United.The Bundesliga side have requested to be kept informed about the Englishman’s status at Old Trafford, with the out-of-favour winger seen as a potential replacement for Chelsea-linked Jamie Gittens, according to Sky Sports.Sancho i...
Gravenberch names his 2025 Ballon d'Or favouriteRyan Gravenberch shared his 2025 Ballon d'Or choice, backing his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah to win the prestigious award.The Egypt international was the frontrunner for the 2025 Ballon d'Or during the first half of the season, topping both the goals and assists charts in the Premier League.0"That's a tough one, but I'll go for my teammate: Moha...
Uriah RennieUriah Rennie, the first black man to referee in the Premier League, has died at the age of 65.WHAT HAPPENED?In August 1997, Rennie was named as the referee for a Premier League game between Derby County and AFC Wimbledon and made history as the division's first ever black referee. He went on to officiate over 300 top-flight games across 11 years, as well as refereeing domestic cup fina...
- 1 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 2 Marcus Rashford 'grows close' to stunning semi-pro padel player
- 3 Why Premier League transfer may be off the cards for Victor Osimhen as Man Utd make 'timid' attempts to convince striker
- 4 Chukwueze reveals cause of AC Milan’s ‘disastrous’ season
- 5 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 6 FIFA confirms 34 team base camp training sites in the United States for 2025 Club World Cup, including nine in Florida and five in Calitornia
- 7 Man Utd continue to be linked with Emi Martinez
- 8 Daily Laugh - Mbeumo and his amazing talent
- 9 Liverpool's dream transfer window with six signings including £100m striker
- 10 Transfer news: Jadon Sancho announces move as Liverpool confirm deal