Arbeloa says Smith Rowe omission was a selection decision
Eddie Nketiah scored as Crystal Palace beat Fulham 1-0 in the EFL Cup fourth round, with Smith Rowe left out of the matchday squad.
Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa said Emile Smith Rowe was left out for selection reasons, not because of injury, as his team exited the EFL Cup with a 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace.
Nketiah's goal before halftime settled the fourth-round match. Fulham recorded 74% possession and 14 shots, while Palace had four attempts. The hosts had entered the tie following two consecutive Premier League victories.
In comments reported by journalist Jack Kelly, Arbeloa said Smith Rowe had experienced issues two weeks earlier but now faced competition for a place. The manager said five players miss out on his matchday squad each week and that the midfielder needed to keep working to earn selection.
Smith Rowe, 26, had started Fulham's two earlier EFL Cup fixtures but had not played in their two most recent league matches. He has yet to start in the Premier League under Arbeloa this season, after making 37 league appearances, including 22 starts, under Marco Silva in the previous campaign.
