Source: Daily_Mail
Fulham 3 Amkar Perm 1: Late strike means Hodgson might smell trouble
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson was left seething after seeing Fulham's unbeaten start to the season marred by a severe injury to Andrew Johnson. [LNB]The striker could be out for up to eight weeks after dislocating his collarbone following a challenge by Amkar Perm's Dmitri Belorukov. The central defender body-checked Johnson when he was through on goal in the 62nd minute. [LNB] One up: Andy Johnson (centre) is congratulated by his team-mates after opening the scoring early on[LNB]Belorukov was cautioned by Portuguese referee Pedro Garcia, but should have been shown a straight red card for the cynical challenge. [LNB]Johnson was substituted immediately and spent the rest of the evening in hospital. The striker may need an operation and doctors suggested last night he could be out for up to eight weeks. [LNB]Hodgson said: 'It was a good win against a difficult team, but it's been marred by the injury to Andrew Johnson. It was a blatant challenge, which has dislocated his collarbone and put him out of the game for a long time. [LNB]'It's very disappointing in these times when referees are supposed to be clamping down on challenges, when you get a challenge like that which gets a yellow card.' [LNB]But the striker is led away in agony after dislocating his collarbone[LNB]The Fulham boss was particularly angry to have lost Johnson at atime when his strike partnership with Bobby Zamora is really startingto blossom. [LNB]'I thought the best part of our team performance by a long stretchwas the ability of the two front players,' said Hodgson after both hisstrikers found the back of the net. [LNB]Zamora set up the first goal for Johnson after four minutes, layinga perfectly weighted pass to the former Everton man, whose right-footedshot sailed past goalkeeper Segey Narubin. [LNB]Only an acrobatic goal-line clearance from right back Zakhary Sirakov prevented Clint Dempsey from making it two just before half-time, the right-back heading over the bar when the American looked sure to score. [LNB]But Dempsey scored Fulham's second with a 25-yard strike and Zamora made it three in the 75th minute, finding the right-hand corner of the net from outside the box after Erik Nevland had headed back Damien Duff's cross. [LNB]Duff, making his Fulham debut after a £4million move from Newcastle, was lively throughout, popping up on both wings and setting up that second goal with his first touch of the match. [LNB]But Amkar substitute Vitali Grishin's vital away goal, fired in from the edge of the box, means Fulham's passage to the Europa League group stage is not yet assured. [LNB]Instead of approaching Sunday's west London derby against Chelsea safe in the knowledge that qualification is nearly in the bag, Fulham must now take a strong squad on the 4,500-mile round trip to Perm next week, where they will play on an artificial pitch. [LNB]Hodgson admitted a 3-0 win would have made the tie safe and added: 'Amkar were an unknown team to us but they have shown they are Premiership quality. They are a big, strong and very physical team.' [LNB]Hodgson's side did not know much about their Russian opponents, who were founded just 15 years ago and are named after an ammonia-based fertiliser. F[LNB]ulham had relied on three matches of video footage after their manager had been unable to secure a visa to travel to Russia.[LNB] Fulham take West Brom skipper Greening on loan for the seasonAngry Hodgson attacks Russian visa system ahead of Europa League clashFULHAM FC
