SAM Allardyce has hinted that Nikola Kalinić could keep his starting place for Sunday's match against Fulham.

The Croatian under 21 star put in a man-of-the-match display on Thursday evening against Aston Villa in the Carling Cup, with only the width of a post preventing him from registering on two occasions.

But with Allardyce impressed with his all round display, he could be set for only his second league start.

"It depends on his legs and how he feels physically," said Allardyce when asked if he'd start.

"He did everything right against Villa except what he wants to do, what we all want him to do, what the fans want him to do, and that is score goals.

"We can see that he is finding his feet now, his ability is starting to show and he just needs the all important first goal and that hasn't quite been there yet."

Since his summer move from Hajduk Split, Allardyce has been slowly introducing Kalinić into the hustle and bustle of Premier League football, but after impressing once again, that view might now be changing.

"We've been feeding him in slowly, we haven't been asking too much of him," admitted Sam.

"It is a big task playing in the Premier League and it is an even bigger task when you are a young man coming from Croatia, leaving your home country for the very first time and trying to settle in a foreign country with a different culture and a different language that you don't speak so well, so we've been carefully grooming him."

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