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Dempsey out for Fulham finale

Dempsey (Getty Images)

Clint Dempsey's record-setting season is over.

Fulham manager Martin Jol confirmed on the club's website that Dempsey will miss Sunday's season finale against Tottenham with a hip injury, prematurely ending what has been the greatest season of the American attacker's career.

"Clint is injured so he won’t play on Sunday," Jol said on FulhamFC.com. "He’s got a problem with his left abductor, so he won’t be involved."

Fulham did not expand on the severity of the injury, one that comes with the U.S. national team's May training camp in Orlando, Fla., commencing next week. Dempsey finishes his otherwise injury-free season with a career-high 23 goals in all competitions and 17 goals in the Premier League — fourth most behind Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero.

Last week he scored the 50th Premier League goal of his career off a free kick against Sunderland in what could have been his final game in a Fulham jersey. Dempsey now braces for U.S. national team duty ahead of the summer transfer window, during which he could very well be on the move to one of his many suitors despite Fulham's wish to hang onto their leading scorer.

With the U.S. national team's first World Cup qualifier, against Antigua & Barbuda, a month away, Dempsey will have plenty of time to recover from the injury before qualifying begins.

Comments

  1. With this injury I can’t see Dempsey being risked for this upcoming five game set.

    Not with potential transfers looming.

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  2. Of course not.

    Clint is his main and maybe only legitimate scoring threat. In addition he may be one of the club’s biggest single potential sources of revenue should they sell him.

    Why should Jol pay any attention at all to Dempsey and his well being? That sounds too much like work.

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  3. “Both of those translate into one thing – an even better Clint Dempsey. ”

    Maybe.

    If Clint was 23-24 his big money transfer to Barcelona or some other big club would be a no brainer. But he is 29 going on 30 and this latest injury,is a bad one in that it comes at a bad time.

    An overuse injury, it reminds the potential buyers that Clint is not invulnerable,has a lot of mileage on him and may be near or past his sell by date.

    Also, Fulham is entirely organized around his scoring. Most of his reputed destinations will not be doing that, not for an older guy.

    He may emerge as a richer, more fufilled and maybe even a better player but he is unlikely to be as dominant. Look at how long it took a younger and better player, Cristiano Ronaldo to get everything going at Real.

    Clint may do well but he will be different

    Reply
  4. For the clubs people are listing as potential destinations: arsenal and liverpool, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for their recent ‘established’ attacking transfers.

    gervinho, benayoun, chamakh, arshavin.

    downing, adam, henderson, carroll, bellamy, joe cole, suarez, aquilani.

    Reply
  5. go back a few years ago when they were trying to unload him and in my opinion it was incredibly unfair.

    Amazing how many whom follow Fulham supporters forget. I’m not one who follows Fulham that closely nor am I a supporter, could care less one way or the other but I am a fan of Clint. I also remember specfically after he arrived and even after proving himself how their new manager was looking to unload him. Clint went on to have a good season and more than justified his reason for being kept by the club.

    It was never all peaches and cream for him there. I just hope he moves on to a bigger club to see him become an even better player and watch him shine on a bigger stage.

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  6. Agreed, we needed him to beat the Spurs and Roy to win his final send off game so we could sneak into the CL. Hopefully Spurs sputter and Arsenal take their foot off the gas and we sneak in there.

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  7. Also- correct me if I am wrong, but won’t an extra team qualify for Europa league if Chelsea wins the Champions league? I thought the rule was that if Chelsea wins Champions league, but doesn’t finish top 4, they qualify for Champions league next year, and the 4th place team bumps down to Europa. Then, England would get an extra 4th spot in Europa. Those would go to the 4th place team, 5th place team, Liverpool (as the Carling champs), and the next placed team (not counting Chelsea and Pool). Am I wrong on this?

    Reply
  8. I wouldn’t say that’s the “only issue” there, Tiger.

    For starters – how about the fact that when Deuce goes to a better club he’ll play with better players and be coached by a better coach?

    Both of those translate into one thing – an even better Clint Dempsey.

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  9. I believe its 800,000 pounds per place in the table. So its not nothing. That’s not huge as a percentage of a mid-table EPL team, but its something.

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  10. The Fair Play rules can still help Fulham qualify for Europa, it’s how they made it into the league this year. They would however need that 7th place finish to even be considered, this match matters! It’s a stretch but it is possible.

    Clint though probably won’t be at the Cottage next season. I’m not buying into the whole Arsenal thing, I’m expecting a team who’s new or hasn’t been there in the Champions League in a while to employ Dempsey next season. Newcastle or Tottenham in the EPL maybe even Udinese or Málaga, Levante or perhaps even Athletico Madrid. All great suitors who could use 20+ goals for 10 million Euros or so.

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  11. This is an “pointless game at the end of the season and almost out of a contract/about to be transfered injury,” and I don’t find fault with Demps at all.

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  12. bummer, i was looking forward to the game but in the end I am much more excited about seeing him healthy with the US and wherever next year.

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  13. treat him better!?!? what the hell are you talking about.

    the only issue with staying at Fulham is that its unlikely they participate in the champions league ever, and even worse won’t be in the europa league next year either.

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  14. Dempsey to Arsenal. Contract has been drafted already. I am really excited for him. Wenger is a big fan and wants to start him behind/off Van Persie.

    It will be incredibly exciting, hopefully he stays in form and really peaks next year

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  15. YEP and it’s last damn match of the season.

    I can’t wait for him to move on to a better club and hopefully one that will treat him better.

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  16. Hip injury?

    Ummm, right.

    I wonder whether or not the Roma or Arsenal deal is done and they’re trying make sure he’s 100% to insure they receive maximum transfer fee.

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  17. Jol did this exact same thing to Zamora before selling him to QPR. Deuce isn’t injured and even if he had a mild injury, IT’S THE LAST GAME. Jol doesn’t get paid to see Clint play against Barbados. I believe Coach Wenger is right, protecting his investment. Next stop Arsenal!

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  18. If it’s a hip abductor or groin injury that may be bad news for the upcoming US friendlies and qualifying matches. They can take a while. My abductor strain took 6 weeks until the dr. cleared me. I didnt feel the abductor strain until the next day either so I dont think Fulham are lying

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  19. eh may miss the friendlies which will suck, but I would rather have him healthy fro the WC qualifiers than for a couple friendlies. Time to see what a fringe player can do in his place in the Scotland, Brasil and Canada friendly. I could see Donovan playing in the hole now against Scotland with Pontius at RW. Staring 11 against Scotland.
    Howard
    Chandler, Gooch, Boca, Lichaj
    ——Bradley——Jones—–
    Pontius——Donovan——–Johnson
    ————-Altidore———-
    Give Dolo the start against Brasil at RB and move Chandler over to LB.

    Reply
  20. How does Dempsey’s goal count compare in terms of goals scored in the run of play versus PKs? I feel like he’s just about as many genuine goals as some of the top scorers. Many of Rooney’s goals are PKs.

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  21. As a Fulham fan, there’s nothing to play for. Fulham will finish seventh, eighth, or ninth, depending on their result and what Everton and Liverpool do. Nothing to be gained from playing your star player in such a game.

    Reply
  22. Well that sucks. Especially considering Adebayor, Aiyegbeni, and Demba Ba are all at 16 goals.

    Can’t imagine the injury is that bad otherwise I would think the comment from Jol would have been phrased a bit differently.

    Reply

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