MARCO Silva believes Nottingham Forest could be a “different” team without the suspended Morgan Gibbs-White when the sides meet at the City Ground on Saturday.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are one of four unbeaten in the Premier League this season but will have to do without new England cap Gibbs-White after he was sent off for two bookings in their 2-2 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
But Fulham boss Silva knows their opponents have several other big attacking threats.
“It’s not my problem, it’s more for Nuno], his situation,” Silva said. “But I have to be honest, when you have Gibbs-White or you don’t have Gibbs-White, you are different.
“For sure, Nuno prefers to play with Gibbs-White. And if you ask me, I prefer to play without Gibbs-White! Simple.
“They are a very good side. You are talking about Gibbs-White, but he’s going to play another player in that position who is really good, too.
“Let’s see who is going to be the player there. If he’s going to play [Elliot] Anderson, that is a very, very good player as well. A young player, but a very good one.
“And, of course, when they have that quality out wide, with [Callum] Hudson-Odoi, with [Anthony] Elanga, with [Ramon] Sosa as well, all those players, with a striker [Chris Wood] in a very good moment as well, they are always a threat and capable of punishing any side.
“They’re really strong in counter-attack moments. When you feel that you have the control of the game, they can punish you as well, and it’s going to be a tough game. I think the way they started the season speaks about themselves.
“We really are looking forward for our first win away from home, we are going to work really hard to do it. They want the same at home as well, and let’s see. Let’s hope we can be stronger than them, and we are going to really look for the three points.”
The Cottagers have only lost once in the league this season and are a point behind Forest in ninth.
Silva added: “Performance-wise, we are growing game by game. You can see us getting better.
“We should have achieved more points, but this is the Premier League and you need to be at the top level in every game.”
