Fulham manager Roy Hodgson was left to reflect on a "very expensive" night after being defeated 3-2 at Stoke and losing striker Bobby Zamora and centre-back Brede Hangeland to injury.
Zamora, with 11 goals this season, is the more serious of the two after coming off worse in a challenge with Abdoulaye Faye early in the second half.
The Fulham striker fell heavily on his right shoulder and Hodgson said he expected the player to be out for a few weeks.
"It is bad. It is a dislocation - I don't know whether it is a collar bone or a shoulder but either way it is a bad injury," said the Fulham boss.
"It is a very expensive day for us. We were forced to replace Hangeland at half-time with a recurrence of his knee injury and we lost Zamora early in the second half and we have also lost the game."
The Cottagers were stunned as Tuncay Sanli nodded in a close-range header from a 12th-minute corner and then conceded goals to Faye and Mamady Sidibe twice within three minutes just after the half-hour.
Damien Duff pulled one back in the 61st minute with a deflected shot before Clint Dempsey's stunning 35-yard volley five minutes from time set up a rousing finale.
"I thought we did well to come out in the second half after conceding those disastrous goals in the first half," added Hodgson
"You know when you come to Stoke set-plays are going to be their major goalscoring weapon.
"The players have shown a lot of character to make a game of it in the second half.
"I didn't think we were particularly outplayed in the first half but 3-0 in any league is a very difficult deficit to come back from.
"I thought we gave it our best shot and I just wish the game had gone on for another 10 minutes - who knows we might have sneaked one in."
The victory was Stoke's first since in the league since November 22 and ended a run of six league matches without a win, in which they had failed to score in all but one.
Manager Tony Pulis was delighted with the display.
"I thought it was a very good first-half performance and we could have scored more goal to be honest," he said.
"We really pressed them in and got after them and I thought we did really well and looked tight together.
"Fair play to Fulham in the second half, they came out and pushed bodies forward and made it nervous for us."
On the side finding the goal trail again the Stoke boss added: "We have created good chances but just haven't taken them.
"I think there were eight good opportunities today we created and we've taken three so I'm pleased."
The Fulham striker fell heavily on his right shoulder and Hodgson said he expected the player to be out for a few weeks.
"It is bad. It is a dislocation - I don't know whether it is a collar bone or a shoulder but either way it is a bad injury," said the Fulham boss.
"It is a very expensive day for us. We were forced to replace Hangeland at half-time with a recurrence of his knee injury and we lost Zamora early in the second half and we have also lost the game."
The Cottagers were stunned as Tuncay Sanli nodded in a close-range header from a 12th-minute corner and then conceded goals to Faye and Mamady Sidibe twice within three minutes just after the half-hour.
Damien Duff pulled one back in the 61st minute with a deflected shot before Clint Dempsey's stunning 35-yard volley five minutes from time set up a rousing finale.
"I thought we did well to come out in the second half after conceding those disastrous goals in the first half," added Hodgson
"You know when you come to Stoke set-plays are going to be their major goalscoring weapon.
"The players have shown a lot of character to make a game of it in the second half.
"I didn't think we were particularly outplayed in the first half but 3-0 in any league is a very difficult deficit to come back from.
"I thought we gave it our best shot and I just wish the game had gone on for another 10 minutes - who knows we might have sneaked one in."
The victory was Stoke's first since in the league since November 22 and ended a run of six league matches without a win, in which they had failed to score in all but one.
Manager Tony Pulis was delighted with the display.
"I thought it was a very good first-half performance and we could have scored more goal to be honest," he said.
"We really pressed them in and got after them and I thought we did really well and looked tight together.
"Fair play to Fulham in the second half, they came out and pushed bodies forward and made it nervous for us."
On the side finding the goal trail again the Stoke boss added: "We have created good chances but just haven't taken them.
"I think there were eight good opportunities today we created and we've taken three so I'm pleased."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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