Fulham not distracted by Kamara suspension, insists Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri is waiting on the outcome of a club investigation regarding Aboubakar Kamara, but he is confident Fulham will not be distracted.

Kamara was reportedly arrested following a training ground incident last week and the club have suspended the forward, who clashed with team-mate Aleksandar Mitrovic on the pitch earlier this season.

Kamara will miss Tuesday’s match against Brighton and Hove Albion, yet Ranieri does not believe the off-field drama will negatively imapct his side.

“I don’t know what happened here, there is a club investigation,” he told a news conference. “I am waiting.

“If he comes back, there is no problem. For the team, there is no problem. It has had no influence, everybody is working well. It’s no problem.”

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Asked whether Kamara is involved with the first team, Ranieri replied: “At this moment, no. He’s suspended from the club, but I am waiting.”

Alfie Mawson also remains absent, having undergone surgery on a knee injury, but Ranieri is still hopeful the defender will play a key role in Fulham’s survival bid.

“Mawson will have a check in six weeks,” the manager said. “He’s not finished for the season, I wait for him to be ready at the end of the season.

“We’ll check on his surgery in six weeks. Then we can restart with him for the last month. The last five matches I think he’ll be ready.”