Nigeria, Feb. 7 -- For much of the last two seasons, Calvin Bassey has been close to untouchable at Fulham. Reliable, aggressive, and tactically disciplined, the Super Eagles defender grew into one of the Premier League's most consistent centre-backs, a rise that culminated in him being named Fulham's Player of the Season last year.

So when Bassey returned from international duty at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, many expected a simple narrative: straight back into the starting XI, no questions asked. Instead, what has followed is one of the more intriguing selection puzzles at Craven Cottage this season.

Bassey began the current campaign exactly where he left off. He was ever-present in Fulham's back line during the first half of the ...