Chelsea and Fulham are separated by three points in the table and 2,174 metres across the borough.

This is the fourth of six west London derbies during the league season, the second of three Chelsea away days on the spin across all competitions, and the second match in the men's dugout for Under-21s head coach Calum McFarlane.

The Blues have won six of the past seven league trips across the SW6 postcode, including the past two.

The Cottagers’ Sunday ended in delight, with Harrison Reed’s bone-shaking leveller for a 2-2 at home to Liverpool, leaving them 11th in the Premier League.

Later the same day, the world champions clinched a well-deserved point in the last minute at Manchester City through Enzo Fernandez, to remain in fifth place, with the third-highest goal difference in the top flight (+11).

Chelsea have drawn our past three matches on the road, but claimed the spoils in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge back in August, a 2-0 victory over the Cottagers. Joao Pedro headed in a corner, followed by Fernandez from the penalty spot, meaning the Blues are targeting a second league double over our nearest neighbours in three seasons.

Chelsea team news

McFarlane will remain in the dugout for the trip to Fulham, before new head coach Liam Rosenior takes charge.

The Blues will have Moises Caicedo available again after the midfielder served his suspension at Manchester City, and also hopes to be able to call upon Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana and Robert Sanchez at Craven Cottage.

‘They [Caicedo, Cucurella and Sanchez] are all training today,’ McFarlane confirmed at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

‘We are training in a few hours and they will all be taking part in the session today. We will have a better idea [on availability] after the session, but at this point, nobody is ruled out. We will look at training, see how the guys look [after the session] and then make a call after that.

‘Wes will be checked today when he comes in. The lads are reporting [to Cobham] shortly, so he will be checked then.'

Chelsea vs Fulham: the history

Chelsea have won 54 of the 94 west London derbies with Fulham played across all competitions since December 1910 and have lost just twice at Craven Cottage in the Premier League era.

Honours were shared when the pair first met there in the top flight in September 1949. Billy Gray broke the deadlock for the visitors, but Harry Freeman restored parity and it ended 1-1.

Our biggest ever win at the Cottagers came in November 2004, as Jose Mourinho’s side were assuming leadership of the Premier League. Frank Lampard’s direct free-kick claimed a lead that lasted 24 minutes, until Papa Bouba Diop’s leveller, but from then on it was the Arjen Robben show.

The flying Dutchman’s pace and skill proved too much for a Whites defence frequently left flat on their backs. The 21-year-old scored from a magnificent solo run, then set up Tiago Mendes for the visitors’ fourth. In between, Lampard’s dead-ball delivery found the head of William Gallas for the third in a 4-1 win.

Chelsea have claimed all the spoils in our two most recent trips upriver. Last season at the Thames-side stadium, Alex Iwobi netted against the run of play, but fine late finishes from Tyrique George and Pedro Neto turned the game in the Blues’ favour.

Premier League west London derbies

Know this...

Chelsea have recorded more league doubles over Fulham than any other opponent (15). Our record of losing just 8.1 per cent of match-ups with Fulham (three of 37) is the lowest between Premier League clubs who have met 20 or more times.

The world champions have scored in 90 per cent of league matches this season.

Almost a quarter of the goals the Blues have conceded came in the opening 15 minutes.

Just four players have won more tackles in the attacking third than Moises Caicedo.

Only the bottom four clubs have lost more league games this season than Fulham (eight), while Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers are the only teams to have made more errors leading to a goal (six).

During the 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium, Chelsea matched Manchester City for shots on target (three) and had a higher figure for expected goals (1.73) than the hosts (0.99).

Cole Palmer’s penalty goal against Bournemouth was our first in the top flight since Fernandez netted four months earlier at home to Fulham. Only four clubs have conceded more penalties than the Whites' four.

Everton’s switch to Bramley-Moore Dock means Stamford Bridge and Craven Cottage are now the closest rival stadiums in the Premier League, just 1.4 miles apart.