Fulham head into this cup tie on the back of an eventful London derby against Chelsea. Álvaro Arbeloa’s side suffered a 3-2 home defeat on Monday, but they showed plenty of character after fighting back from behind and coming close to rescuing a point. Despite that setback, their overall form has not been too concerning, with a positive end to last season and several encouraging performances during pre-season.

The main question for Fulham is how much Arbeloa will rotate his starting lineup. League Cup matches often provide an opportunity to assess squad depth and give fringe players valuable minutes, so a number of changes are expected. Even so, Fulham still hold a clear advantage in terms of individual quality. Tom Cairney remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from a knee problem.

Wimbledon arrive from League One after a relatively modest start to the campaign. They played out a goalless draw with Reading and also shared the points with Newport and Leyton Orient, although a 3-0 defeat to Huddersfield interrupted that run. In the first round of the League Cup, Wimbledon overcame Newport following a 1-1 draw, giving them an early taste of knockout football this season.

The visitors will know that simply defending for the entire match may not be enough. Heavy rotation could leave Fulham vulnerable at times, and Wimbledon will be ready to take advantage of any mistakes. Cup football has a long history of producing unexpected results, which gives the underdogs at least some hope.

Nevertheless, Fulham remain overwhelming favourites. Playing at Craven Cottage should allow the hosts to take control from the outset, while their superior technical quality is likely to become increasingly evident as the game progresses. After such an intense encounter with Chelsea, Fulham will be eager to secure a more controlled and straightforward result.

Expect the home side to dominate possession and patiently build pressure throughout the contest. Wimbledon may frustrate them during the early stages, but if Fulham maintain their intensity, the difference in quality should eventually become the decisive factor.

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