Marco Silva refused to use injuries to Willian and Harry Wilson as an excuse for Fulham’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa.
Silva was forced into a late change when Willian injured his hamstring in the warm-up at Villa Park, while Wilson limped off after just 16 minutes after feeling unwell.
Tyrone Mings scored a first-half winner for Villa with a header from a corner and defeat all-but ends any outside hopes Fulham had of qualifying for Europe.
Silva said: “Of course it was not the best start for us but we cannot be excused. Our first half was not at the level that we should have played.
“We conceded a completely sloppy goal and gave them the scenario they wanted. Second half, we reacted. We pressed differently and more aggressively, controlled the game, but our frontline players were not at their best level. We lost because the first half was not good enough for us.”
Fulham are ninth in the Premier League, five points off seventh-placed Liverpool having played more games than Jurgen Klopp’s side and Brighton above them.
They host title-chasing Manchester City on Sunday.
