There is better news for Fulham winger Simon Davies, who has an outside chance of making the squad to play against Everton on Sunday after recovering well from an ankle operation.
Davies said: "It's really now about getting my fitness back. I've been working really hard over the last six to eight weeks."
If he doesn't make Sunday, Davies could be on the plane to CSKA Sofia and Fulham's first game in the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday.
He admitted, however, that new recruits Damien Duff, Bjorn Helge Riise, Jonathan Greening and Kagisho Dikgacoi have provided stiff competition for places in midfield despite the extra demands of European football.
Davies said: "It will be a new experience for a lot of us this year, what with playing so many games week-in week-out. The squad will definitely be tested this season. Last year we kept the same sort of team throughout the course of the season, but this year I can see 17 or 18 players pushing for first team football.
"Competition for places is part and parcel of the game, and in any good team you will find that.
"Competition is good for players because you know that you're going to have to work extremely hard for your shirt.
"You have to be on your toes because there is someone else in the squad that can replace you. But it can only be good for the team, and at the end of the day as long as the team is winning and playing well then that's what matters."