Fulham defender Tim Ream is expected to be out until after Christmas with a calf injury.

The Cottagers will head into Saturday's away clash with Newcastle United in a positive mood after cruising to 5-0 victories over both Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.

If Fulham are to claim a third consecutive victory, they will have to do it without the experience of Ream, who is set to miss out through injury.

After being an unused substitute for the win over Forest, Ream was left out of the squad for last week's success against the Hammers.

Speaking in Thursday's pre-match press conference, Marco Silva revealed that the USA international remains sidelined alongside Adama Traore.

The Fulham boss told reporters: "Tim Ream is going to be out, and Adama [Traore] as well. All the others are going to be available for the match.

"Tim felt something after we played against Nottingham [Forest] at home. He felt something in his calf. Let's see. We have to keep assessing him, keep recovering him. He's doing rehabilitation with the medical department.

When pressed for further details over Ream's fitness status, Silva added: "He's not training. It's probably going to be early for him [to return] before Christmas."

Not only is Ream set to miss Saturday's away trip to Newcastle, but he is also expected to miss games against Everton and Burnley in the EFL Cup and Premier League respectively.

In positive news, Willian is expected to be fit despite being forced off at half time against West Ham with an injury issue.

Defender Issa Diop is set to return from a spell on the sidelines and feature in a matchday squad for the first time since October 7.

Having picked up 21 points from 16 games, Fulham head into the weekend in 10th position and five points adrift of Saturday's opponents, who currently occupy seventh place. body check tags ::