The 12th round of the 2025/26 Premier League season will take place, with Fulham hosting newly promoted Sunderland. Marco Silva has stated that although striker Rodrigo Muniz will be sidelined for some time due to injury, his team has different attacking options available.

After losing 0-2 to Everton in the last round of the Premier League, Fulham are currently 15th in the standings with 11 points. 24-year-old Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz suffered a hamstring injury in that match and will be out for a period of time after undergoing surgery.

Fulham manager Marco Silva said in an interview, "Rodrigo Muniz underwent surgery last Saturday, which is very bad news for us. He will be out for a long time, and to be injured again in his first game back is very painful for him."

"He has ambitious goals for this season, which is tough on him, his teammates, and the club. In terms of recovery time, mid-February is a reasonable return date. It would be better for us if he could come back earlier, but he will indeed be out for a considerable period of time."

Marco Silva continued, "We have the assistance of Raúl Jiménez and Cusí Assare, as well as Lupalo Bi from the U21 team. We have different solutions, and we also have wingers who can fit into this position, although we cannot completely replicate the role that Raúl Jiménez and Rodrigo Muníz play in the attacking third."

Praise Sunderland for its multifaceted strengths

It's worth mentioning that Fulham winger Harry Wilson scored a hat-trick for Wales in the World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia.

Marco Silva said, "Harry Wilson plays as a number 9 in Wales, and we tried Josh King in a similar position against Bournemouth when we were missing Rodrigo Muniz and Raul Jimenez at the same time. At some points in those games, Harry Wilson was almost a second striker."

Furthermore, Fulham will face Sunderland, who are currently 4th in the standings with 19 points and have achieved a respectable record of 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss in their last 5 rounds.

Speaking about their opponents, Marco Silva said, "This is the strength they have shown. They have performed very well in the past few seasons, rising from the lower leagues all the way to the Premier League."

"They have the ability and individual skills, and they've invested money. But in the past, there have been clubs that spent a lot of money but didn't succeed. Their success stems from many factors, including individual ability, the manager, and experienced players. They deserve their current results, and this will be a good test for us."