Muniz was forced off only 17 minutes after coming on as a substitute in Fulham's 2–0 defeat at Everton on November 8, and the club confirmed on November 14 that the 24-year-old will undergo surgery on his hamstring in the coming days.

It comes just weeks after he returned from a similar issue that had sidelined him for four matches between September and October. Fulham stated the striker has injured the same leg and will miss at least eight games, including their Carabao Cup quarter-final away to Newcastle United on December 17.

Silva expressed disappointment at the news, stressing the demands of the Premier League schedule. "Like all the teams we need all our strikers for the demands of the Premier League," the Fulham manager said after the Everton match, adding that Muniz had been showing signs of sharpness before the setback. "We know how important he can be, and we need to support him now while finding solutions for the next weeks."

Muniz's absence leaves Silva with only Raul Jimenez and 18-year-old Jonah Kusi-Asare as senior centre-forward options. Jimenez, who has battled fitness problems all season, only returned to the matchday squad in early November, while Kusi-Asare, loaned in from Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day in September, is still being eased into Premier League football. As a raw talent with limited senior experience, the young Swede is not yet ready to anchor the attack on a weekly basis.

Fulham sit 15th in the Premier League with 11 points from 11 games, just one point and one place above the relegation zone occupied by West Ham United (10 points), and face a congested schedule in early January, with three matches in six days: away to Crystal Palace on January 1, home against Liverpool on January 4, and hosting Chelsea on January 7. Muniz is unlikely to feature in any of these.

The club are expected to consider a move for a new striker when the January transfer window opens on January 1, 2026, depending on the speed of Muniz's recovery and the availability of targets priced in pounds or euros.

Muniz had been tipped to become Fulham's first-choice striker after scoring 11 goals in all competitions during the 2024/25 season and impressing with a series of lively cameos this term before his latest injury. His setback means the Cottagers must again adjust their plans as they battle to climb clear of danger.

Mason Mount and Raphael Varane return to training for Manchester United