Coventry vs Fulham Lineups: Larsson Back, Iwobi Starts

Hugo Larsson returns to the Fulham starting line-up for this afternoon's relegation six-pointer at Coventry City, with Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey both starting a match neither side can afford to lose at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

It is a meeting 25 years in the making. Coventry dropped out of the top flight in 2001, the summer Fulham arrived, so this is the clubs' first ever Premier League meeting and their first top-flight clash since the 1967-68 season. They resume acquaintances in the bottom three: Frank Lampard's Coventry are 18th with six points, one place and one point above Alvaro Arbeloa's Fulham in 19th, and a win for either side lifts them out of the relegation zone.

Fulham team news: Larsson the only change

Arbeloa makes just one change to the side that finally gave him a first Premier League win, the 1-0 victory over Hull City last weekend in which Iwobi played a starring role. The fit-again Larsson comes into midfield for Sander Berge, who drops to the bench, as West London Sport reported from the confirmed teamsheets.

Ryan Sessegnon is suspended after his red card against Hull, so Antonee Robinson continues at left-back. Nigeria internationals Bassey, at centre-back alongside David Affengruber, and Iwobi, on the left of the attack, both start, with Oscar Bobb on the right, Josh King behind Gonzalo Garcia, and Shea Charles partnering Larsson in the middle. Fulham are still chasing a first away win of the season.

Fulham XI: Leno; Castagne, Affengruber, Bassey, Robinson; Larsson, Charles; Bobb, King, Iwobi; Garcia. Subs: Lecomte, Tete, Andersen, Berge, Cairney, Manuel Angel, Palacios, Kevin, Muniz.

Coventry team news: Rudoni leads the response

Lampard is without four players through injury — Haji Wright, Luke Woolfenden, Josh Eccles and Aurele Amenda are all unavailable, according to The Football Faithful — but the core of the side that beat Nottingham Forest and hammered Newcastle 4-1 remains intact after Monday's 3-1 defeat at Tottenham.

Jack Rudoni, who scored at Spurs, plays as the number 10 behind Sidiki Cherif, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto on the right and Brandon Thomas-Asante on the left. Matt Grimes captains the side alongside Caleb Yirenkyi in midfield, and Bobby Thomas partners Ethan Pinnock at the back. Nigerian pair Taiwo Awoniyi and Frank Onyeka are both on a strong bench that also includes Gustavo Hamer and Ephron Mason-Clark.

Coventry XI: Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Pinnock, DaSilva; Grimes, Yirenkyi; Sakamoto, Rudoni, Thomas-Asante; Cherif. Subs: Bentley, Mason-Clark, Mfuni, Awoniyi, Onyeka, Kesler-Hayden, Torp, Gboho, Hamer.

So what does it mean?

October six-pointers are supposed to be a cliche, but the maths here is brutal: the loser ends the weekend inside the bottom three, and the winner climbs out of it. Coventry's home form is their lifeline — that 4-1 rout of Newcastle showed what this crowd can do — while Fulham's season has been a story of good performances and bad results, with last week's first win under Arbeloa now needing a sequel on the road. Both managers know a defeat today follows them into a difficult run of fixtures.

Beyond the Final Whistle: This is the kind of game that quietly decides a season. Fulham have the better players — Iwobi and Bassey would walk into most bottom-half sides — but Coventry have momentum at home and a number 10 in Rudoni who is bang in form. If Arbeloa's side finally marry their control to a result away from Craven Cottage, the relegation talk around them will look premature. Who takes the points in this basement battle? Let us know in the comments.