With four matches played in the new Championship season, you would have got long odds on Fulham propping up the table with zero points.

However, that is the situation they find themselves in ahead of Saturday's meeting with Cardiff City - a match that would have been a Premier League fixture four months ago.

It has been a dreadful start to the campaign for the Cottagers, who have scored just twice and conceded nine times en route to four consecutive league defeats.

Manager Felix Magath will be hoping that the lowest point has already come, however, with a second-half collapse last weekend resulting in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Derby County.

Whether the Londoners can still mount a bid for promotion after such a torrid start remains to be seen, but should they fall to a fifth league loss in a row then, even at this early stage of the campaign, they could be ruled out of the title race.

Magath himself may not last much longer if things don't improve, with reports already emerging linking the likes of Tim Sherwood and Glenn Hoddle to the manager's post should the German be sacked.

He gave himself a stay of execution in midweek, however, picking up the club's first win of the season by beating Brentford in the second round of the League Cup.

The major plus from that result was big-money summer signing Ross McCormack finally opening his account for the club, and if they can get him firing on all cylinders then it could be enough to drag them out of trouble.

However, a lot depends on how effectively Magath can get his side working together after a huge overhaul of players in the transfer market, and also whether his trust in the team's youth system pays off.

Veteran goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly has joined the club this week, but he is unlikely to make his debut in this match. Magath could make a few changes, however, as he continues to search for his preferred lineup.

Cardiff have had a slightly better time of things on their return to the second tier, picking up seven points from their opening four matches of the campaign.

However, they come into this match having lost for the first time this season last Saturday, slumping to a 1-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers courtesy of a 91st-minute own goal from Mark Hudson.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side quickly returned to winning ways, however, edging to a 3-2 victory over Port Vale to reach the third round of League Cup on Tuesday.

Federico Macheda netted a brace for the Bluebirds in that match, and he may have done enough to earn himself a start this weekend alongside Kenwyne Jones, who could also be restored to the starting lineup.

Away form could be a worry for the visitors, however, as they have won just one of their last 10 league outings on the road stretching back to last season.

Recent form

Fulham: LLLLW

Cardiff: DWWWLW

Possible starting lineups

Fulham: Joronen; Hoogland, Bodurov, Burgess, Kavanagh; Eisfeld, Williams, Parker, Stafylidis; Dembele, McCormack

Cardiff: Marshall; Connolly, Hudson, Morrison, Fabio; Pilkington, Gunnarsson, Adeyemi, Whittingham; Macheda, Jones

Sports Mole says: 1-1