Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze is back in Fulham’s plans after recovering from a calf injury, with coach Marco Silva indicating the Nigerian could feature against Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage on Sunday, March 1.
Samuel Chukwueze sat out last Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light with a calf problem, but Fulham’s head coach Marco Silva says the 25-year-old has had a solid training week and is now pushing for a return. The Nigerian winger could be back on the pitch as soon as Sunday’s Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur, a game Fulham hosts at Craven Cottage from 2 pm GMT.
The news is a boost for both club and country. Chukwueze has been one of Fulham’s more reliable attacking options this season, registering three goals and four assists in 13 Premier League appearances since joining on a season-long loan from AC Milan last summer.
What Silva Said
Marco Silva, Fulham head coach
Silva stopped short of guaranteeing Chukwueze’s inclusion, but the tone was clearly positive. The Fulham boss also confirmed that American left-back Antonee Robinson, another player Nigeria fans will recognise from the AFCON circuit, has returned to team training after his own injury absence.
As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, Fulham’s only confirmed absentee heading into the Spurs fixture is Kevin Danso, which means Silva has a near fully-fit squad to choose from for the first time in several weeks.
A Season of Steady Contribution
It’s worth putting Chukwueze’s numbers in context. Three goals and four assists from a wide player who has frequently come off the bench or rotated in and out of the starting eleven is a respectable return, not spectacular, but functional. Fulham signed him with an option to buy, and that clause will likely depend on how much he can contribute in the final stretch of the campaign.
His most eye-catching moment of the season came in Matchweek 14 when he tormented Manchester City in a wild 4-5 defeat at Craven Cottage, earning recognition as one of that gameweek’s standout performers. That kind of display against elite opposition is exactly what gets scouts and national team coaches watching.
The Super Eagles Dimension
For Nigerian football fans, Chukwueze’s fitness is bigger than club business. He was part of the Super Eagles squad at AFCON 2025, which created a significant scheduling gap for Fulham at the start of the year. Getting him back to full fitness and regular minutes at Premier League level is exactly the kind of form coach Eric Chelle needs his wide players to be in ahead of upcoming international fixtures.
Chukwueze, Iwobi, and Bassey all featured at Fulham this season, giving the club arguably the densest Nigerian presence in the Premier League’s current campaign. When all three are fit and available, it’s a genuine talking point for Eagles supporters watching every Saturday.
Analysis: Does Chukwueze Have More to Give?
The honest answer is yes. Seven goal involvements (three goals, four assists) in 13 appearances is decent productivity, but anyone who’s watched him this season knows there are stretches where he goes quiet for weeks before producing a moment of brilliance. That inconsistency has defined his career since leaving Villarreal for AC Milan.
At Fulham, the structure suits him better. Marco Silva gives his wide players license to drive at defenders, and Craven Cottage’s atmosphere encourages direct, attacking football. Chukwueze has the pace and the dribbling ability to hurt Tottenham on the break, especially if Spurs commit men forward as they often do under their current setup.
The calf injury is minor and short-term, which is good news. What matters now is that he finishes the season strongly enough to make Fulham consider triggering that option to buy. A permanent Premier League home would be the best possible environment for him heading into the 2026 World Cup qualification cycle with Nigeria. Fans betting on his next performance can explore Bet9ja’s current welcome bonus, which covers EPL matches with up to ₦100,000 on first deposit, making Sunday’s fixture particularly interesting for goal-scorer markets with Chukwueze potentially returning.
What Happens Next
Fulham face Tottenham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, March 1, kick-off 2 pm GMT. It’s a fixture that matters for both sides. Spurs are chasing Champions League qualification, while Fulham are pushing to keep pace with the European places further up the table.
Chukwueze coming back into the lineup would give Fulham another attacking dimension on the right side, where his speed and ability to cut inside onto his left foot create problems for any full-back. Whether Silva starts him or eases him back from the bench will depend on how that final training session goes on Saturday.
Either way, the Nigerian is fit. That’s the news that matters.
📌 Did You Know?
- Chukwueze joined Fulham from AC Milan on a season-long loan that includes an option to buy, meaning a strong finish to the season could result in a permanent Premier League move for the Super Eagles star.
- Before joining AC Milan in 2023, Chukwueze spent five seasons at Villarreal in Spain, where he became one of the most productive Nigerian wingers in La Liga history, contributing regularly to the Yellow Submarine’s Europa League campaigns.
- Fulham have three Nigerian players on their books this season: Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, and Calvin Bassey, giving the west London club one of the most significant Nigerian presences in the Premier League during the 2025/26 campaign.
- Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham’s opponents on Sunday, also have a Nigerian interest: Spurs have been linked with several Super Eagles players in recent transfer windows, and their squad includes players familiar to Nigerian football watchers.
- Chukwueze was part of Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 squad, which caused a gap in his club availability earlier in the season. His loan deal accommodated his international commitments, but the stop-start nature of his season partly explains his relatively modest appearances tally.
- At AC Milan, Chukwueze scored 6 goals and provided 6 assists across two seasons in 69 competitive appearances. His productivity at Fulham (3 goals, 4 assists in just 13 EPL games) suggests he has settled into English football at a faster pace than his Italian spell.
- Craven Cottage, where Sunday’s match takes place, has a capacity of approximately 25,700. It’s one of English football’s most historic grounds, having hosted top-flight football since 1896, a venue with the kind of atmosphere that suits a direct winger like Chukwueze.
