Fulham boss expects Anguissa to stay and provides explanation for Seri absence

BY DANIEL MARSH

Scott Parker has downplayed any talk of a move away for Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa following Fulham’s EFL Cup win at Ipswich Town.

Anguissa impressed while playing 60 minutes in midweek, following on from a substitute appearance against Arsenal the previous weekend. He spent last term on loan at Villarreal, who have been linked with another move for the midfield man.

But he appears to be in Parker’s plans for this campaign.

“Yes, the club want him to stay – from my point of view he is [staying]. He’s a player I love, he’s a player that I’ve spent a lot of time with from when I first came [to the club]. He had his struggles early on when he first came in.

“I think Frank knows exactly what I think of him. He’s a player that I’m looking at to really be a major part of what we’re trying to do this year.

“Frank’s been very, very professional. He has a sole focus about him which is getting as fit as he can and getting in this team.

All the signs are very good. I hope that is still the case when the [transfer] window shuts. You never know when a window’s open what can happen – I’m not just talking about Frank, I’m talking about everyone. But hopefully he’ll be part of this.”

Jean Michael Seri is another Fulham player who has been linked with a move away. The Ivory Coast man signed for a big fee from Nice in 2018, but like Anguissa, spent last season out on loan after failing to impress.

He didn’t make the matchday squad for the EFL Cup trip to Suffolk, with Parker revealing Seri had been in quarantine.

“At the moment he’s come back late. He had to go into quarantine. He trained for the first time yesterday with the team. At this present moment in time he’s our player, we’ll work him, get him up to speed and get him fit and we’ll see where we are after that.”