Aleksandar Mitrovic has been in sparkling form in the first quarter of this Championship season and the supporting cast have been the key cog in that according to Marco Silva.

The Cottagers have picked up since the international break to restore themselves inside the automatic promotion places and will have their sights set on catching league leaders Bournemouth. Silva's men endured a tricky run between the first and second breaks but are looking back to their best and Mitrovic's form has been a huge part of that.

Silva's wanted to throw some praise on his creative contingent when he spoke to The Athletic.

He said: "He’s (Mitrovic) a really important player for us. For him to score and for him to be in the right spots, everyone is working really hard for him as well.

"They are creating the chances for him. For me (his goals) are just a consequence. Of course, if you can have a player in the squad  that can score goals and he has this ability, it will be a big help for us."

Neeskens Kebano and Bobby Decordova-Reid have really stepped up in recent weeks to address the Fabio Carvalho sized hole in the chance creation department. Silva's men are back to their menacing best that they displayed in the first few weeks of the season.

The Verdict

Mitrovic has 15 goals already in the Championship this season and will be motivated to break Ivan Toney's record of 31 last term. The Serbian acts as somewhat of a cheat code in the second tier as clearly a player with the ability to be applying his trade in one of Europe's top five leagues.

Silva will be looking for his bigger players to stand up when they host West Bromwich Albion on Saturday lunchtime. A win at Craven Cottage would see Fulham open up a four point gap inside the top two and significantly build belief that they will be returning to the Premier League next season.