King, who in his own words has been "chomping at the bit" to get back to first team football, produced a solid display in his return on Wednesday but in truth Fulham were so toothless that he could hardly have wished for a less rigorous test of his still fragile fitness. Ramos was cautious about his talisman's chances of playing tomorrow but it appears he has suffered no ill effects and should retain his place.
Another reason for Ramos to celebrate is the form of winger Steed Malbranque, who has been nothing short of superb since the Spaniard arrived at the club. Given a new lease of life on the left hand side, the Belgian born ex-Fulham man excelled against his own club, appearing all over the pitch to add bite to both our attack and defence. Ramos is also keen to point out that he has been working hard behind the scenes to improve the fitness of the squad with results beginning to pay dividends in the performances of Tom Huddlestone and Aaron Lennon. Huddlestone's physique had been a source of real concern for Ramos but he is hopeful that the burly midfielder has turned the corner, as demonstrated by his brace against our London rivals on Wednesday.