Fulham will be without top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic when they take on Stoke City this afternoon.

The Serbian has been incredible in the Championship this season, scoring a remarkable 27 goals in 25 games as well as registering seven assists.

Therefore, his importance to Marco Silva's side is clear to see but the Cottagers will have to do without the striker this afternoon after The Athletic confirmed that Mitrovic had not made the trip to Staffordshire.

It's unclear as to why this is the case, with the update not stating whether it is illness, injury or transfer related, although it would seem unlikely that the Londoners will cash in on their key man given their position in the table.

Mitrovic's absence will likely present Rodrigo Muniz with a chance to start, with the team news due shortly.

The Brazilian, who arrived from Flamengo in the summer, has scored three goals in 13 games, although he hasn't found the back of the net since the 7-0 thrashing at Blackburn back in early November.

Silva's side hold a five point lead at the top of the Championship going into today's fixture.

The verdict

This is a blow for the Cottagers as you only have to look at the numbers to see how good he has been this season, with his goal return excellent.

But, it's not just that, as his strength and ability to bring others into the game is key to the way this stylish Fulham side attack.

So, there's no point pretending this isn't a big setback ahead of what is a tough game, but Muniz is talented and Silva's men still have enough quality to get maximum points.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.