Fulham chief Khan: Mitrovic sale hurt season start

Fulham chief Tony Khan admits Aleksandar Mitrovic's off-on move to Al Hilal hurt their season start.

Khan makes the admission in his match programme notes for today's clash with Manchester City.

He wrote: "It's always special to have any defending Premier League champion appear at Craven Cottage, but Manchester City arrives with the potential of later this season becoming the first side to win four consecutive Premier League titles.

"With that said, my anticipation for today is twofold – that your club will provide a fierce challenge to Manchester City and that you, our supporters, will bring partisan energy that will make a positive impact on our squad. I am confident of both! Our team has consistently risen to the occasion against our league's top sides since August, and our supporters have been extraordinary all season in packing Craven Cottage and selling out our allocation on the road. If our fans come in full voice this afternoon, as I fully anticipate, I believe we are going to be a very difficult opponent.

"What is certain is this marks three straight years in which my final notes of the season are ones of satisfaction and optimism. As I look back at this campaign, the theme that comes to mind is progress. I recognize our opportunity to match our 10th place finish of a year ago is remote, but when you consider the commotion of last summer related to our striker who would ultimately depart, and recognize the many personal and team highlights that would follow, we've clearly made significant strides in our ambition to be a side that will consistently compete in the Premier League."