Fulham have sacked Slavisa Jokanovic and replaced him with Claudio Ranieri in time for their match with Saints.

Jokanovic is the first Premier League manager to get sacked this season after picking up one win from their opening 12 matches.

Fulham are rock bottom of the table and have put their faith in Ranieri to come in and make an immediate impact.

It could come at a bad time for Saints as Ranieri’s first game in charge will be against Mark Hughes’ side next weekend.

On his new appointment, Ranieri said: "It is an honour to accept Mr. Khan's invitation and opportunity to lead Fulham, a fantastic club with tradition and history.

"The objective at Fulham should never be to merely survive in the Premier League. We must at all times be a difficult opponent and should expect to succeed.

"This Fulham squad has exceptional talent that is contrary to its position in the table. I know this team is very capable of better performances, which we will work on straight away as we prepare for Southampton at the Cottage."