Fulham’s decision to rush back Tom Cairney from injury is proving to be a harmful error

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After Fulham slumped to an embarrassing 4-2 defeat in Cardiff on Saturday, much has been made of the club’s terrible defensive status.

Yet one aspect of the squad that has been relatively overlooked is Fulham’s midfield struggles, compounded by the ongoing absence of captain Tom Cairney.

Slavisa Jokanovic’s decision to rush back Tom Cairney from injury against Everton in late September is proving to be an increasingly harmful error, denying the Whites the presence of their midfield metronome during the team’s form crisis.

Injury worries have plagued Cairney all season, as the Scot limped off in the second half of Fulham’s 4-2 victory against Burnley in late August. After missing three matches, Cairney was thrown into the fray in the closing stages at Goodison Park, but clearly looked off the pace and far from his usual self in his cameo appearance.

Frustratingly, Cairney appeared to have suffered a setback in his recovery and has been out of the squad for the last two matches against Arsenal and Cardiff. In Cairney’s absence, Stefan Johansen has at times been forced to fill in central midfield— yet the Norwegian international is clearly far from Premier League quality.

Against Cardiff in particular, Fulham’s typical possession style was a shambles, with shoddy passing and loose buildup play characteristic of the poor performance.

Evidently, Cairney’s excellent technical ability and match management would shore up many of the mistakes seen in Fulham’s recent dreadful run of form.

There was no need to substitute Cairney against Everton in a match that was essentially already lost, and the club clearly should have waited until the Scot was completely ready to return to first team action.

The error to rush back the captain is typical of Fulham’s terrible start to the Premier League season— results and decision making must improve if the Whites hope to maintain their top flight status.