This article was updated on 5 October 2026. Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa has played down talk of a Fulham Palace debut for his deadline-day signings. Crystal Palace visit Craven Cottage this afternoon, and none of the new arrivals is expected to start.
According to the pre-match press conference report, Arbeloa wants supporters to be patient with the new arrivals. He does not want fans to expect them to make an instant impact.
Fulham added three players on deadline day. They are Hugo Larsson, Manuel Ángel and David Affengruber. None of the trio is expected to start against Palace.
Existing sections, kept in order
Fulham host Crystal Palace this afternoon. Arbeloa used his pre-match press conference to manage expectations around his newest signings. He did not preview the game itself.
“I think it’s a little bit early for these three players,” he said. “You will see tomorrow, but I said that I think they are not ready to play from the start.”
Arbeloa went further. He asked fans to “be patient with these three players” rather than expect an instant impact. According to the pre-match reporting, he also said he was pleased with the squad and with the business Fulham did during the transfer window.
Fulham’s deadline-day signings and Arbeloa’s warning
Hugo Larsson, Manuel Ángel and David Affengruber will not start for Fulham against Crystal Palace this afternoon. Arbeloa confirmed this in his pre-match press conference. He told supporters to give the trio time to settle in.
The three were Fulham’s only signings on deadline day. Arbeloa is pleased with the squad overall. But he made clear that none of the new faces is ready for a starting role against Palace.
What happens next
There is no fresh development here. This update brings together Arbeloa’s pre-match comments, first set out in our earlier coverage. It adds no new facts about the game itself.
On this evidence, a Fulham Palace debut looks unlikely for Larsson, Manuel Ángel or Affengruber. Arbeloa is choosing caution over an instant introduction this afternoon. Supporters can check our Palace squad guide for the group Palace have assembled this season.
