Fulham boss to assess Iwobi and Bassey before deciding on whether to play them tomorrow

FULHAM manager Marco Silva will assess the fitness of Super Eagles duo Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey once more today before deciding whether to field them in tomorrow's Premier League game at home to Aston Villa tomorrow.

Both players have been the toast of the Fulham fans over the last month as their presence in the Nigeria team that advanced to the final of the African Cup of Nations led to their popularity soaring. They returned to London this month after the final last Sunday and a trip to Nigeria where the team, was hosted by the president.

Now back in training with Fulham at the club's Motspur Park training ground, the pair looked in good spirits as they smiled for the cameras in what was their first training session with the Cottagers since the start of year. They have not figured for Fulham since December 31, 2023 when they started the 2-1 win over Arsenal at Craven Cottage.

Iwobi and Bassey were both awarded national honours, a flat in Abuja and land in the Federal Capital Territory by Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu who treated the team to a reception after they returned from Ivory Coast. They were involved in every single game played by the Super Eagles at the 2023 African Cup of Nations.

Bassey, a central defender and Iwobi a midfielder, were both integral members of the Super Eagles throughout the tournament. They were key cogs in the machine of Coach Jose Peseiro who adopted a 3-4-3 formation that saw Bassey play as a left-sided centreback and Iwobi as a central midfielder, rather than his preferred position of playmaker.