Fulham's Craven Cottage (Phil Cole/Allsport)

The continuing threat of legal action from local residents and revised estimates of nearly £100million for redevelopment may force them to scrap their proposed return there in two years' time.

A bid for a 10-acre site about four miles from Craven Cottage has already been rejected.

As Fulham prepared for tonight's Intertoto Cup semi-final first-leg against French side Sochaux at Loftus Road, where they are sharing with Queens Park Rangers, chief executive Bruce Langham said: 'We are still looking for potential alternative sites because it is prudent to do so.

'Our preferred option is still to redevelop Craven Cottage but it would be foolhardy not to keep our options open to ensure that we are able to build a stadium we can be proud of.'

Fulham have already seen two bids from residents to force a public inquiry into their plans to build a 28,000-seat stadium on the site of Craven Cottage. The group could still go to the House of Lords and the European Court of Human Rights - and building work has not even started.

On the playing side, manager Jean Tigana's squad redevelopment is likely to be tested tonight with Japanese loan signing Junichi Inamoto set to make his debut.

The former Arsenal midfielder should play some part in the game but Fulham's other loan recruit, defender Martin Djetou, will be given more time to settle at his new club before making his first appearance.