Marcus Bettinelli challenged to fight for his place at Fulham by Slavisa Jokanovic
Saturday 18 August 2018 09:07, UK
Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic has told Marcus Bettinelli to fight for his place in the first team following the arrival of two new goalkeepers over the summer.
Bettinelli, 26, was the No 1 at Craven Cottage last season and helped Fulham secure promotion to the Premier League but has fallen down the pecking order after the signings of Fabri and Sergo Rico in the summer transfer window.
He was left out of Jokanovic's matchday squad against Crystal Palace last weekend and tweeted during the game to confirm he was not injured.
Fabri made his Premier League debut following his £5m summer move from Besiktas, while Rico was on the bench despite only joining from Sevilla less than 48 hours earlier.
Newspaper reports have suggested Bettinelli could seek a loan move to gain first-team minutes but Jokanovic has told the player to knuckle down and compete for his spot at Fulham.
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He said: "I do not know what the player is thinking but he must work and fight for his chance.
"I have three goalkeepers and I can choose only one of them. One of them will be in the stands, one will be on the bench and one will be in the goal. The situation for Marcus Bettinelli is like the situation for the other goalkeepers, and like other parts of the squad.
"I am happy with three quality goalkeepers. This is a fantastic situation for a head coach. The three keepers must fight for the position and I will decide what is best for my team."
Rico, who won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2015, is expected to overtake Fabri as the first choice at Fulham once he settles into his new club.
Jokanovic said: "If you ask why Bettinelli is not in goal, you can talk about we made some investment for other players.
"A player who has some experience in a high level and who has some experience in the Champions League.
"Another situation [an injury] with Bettinelli during the pre-season forced us to bring another keeper too. This goalkeeper is a quality keeper who has similar experience. A Champions League keeper who won a European trophy."
Fulham return to Wembley Stadium, where they beat Aston Villa in last season's Championship play-off final, to face Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday.
