City travel to West London to face Silva’s men in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, hoping to display an improved outing after the weekend’s loss.
David Wagner has laid the ground to make several changes and has little secret that Championship progress is the priority for his team – but City’s head coach is still hoping to name a side capable of producing a competitive performance against the Premier League outfit.
Silva is wary of the wounded Canaries and has tasked his side with controlling the contest to ensure they progress to the next round.
“The last few results for them, they weren’t the best,” Silva said of City’s form. “The last defeat was a heavy one and that is always difficult for a team that has ambitions of getting promoted and fighting to play in the Premier League next season and to be around the play-off area.
“It was a difficult one to take for them. As football people, we know when you have a difficult day that you want to show a reaction. There is no better opportunity for them to show one than against a Premier League club in the Carabao Cup.
“The last few results were not the best but they started the season well. They have played well and have good parts to arrive in certain areas that we analysed. They will demand organisation and aggressiveness on and off the ball – our quality has to come on top because it is a game we need to command.”
Silva is also expecting to make a host of changes with one-time Norwich target Tosin Adarabioyo, winger Adama Traore and Sasa Lukic are all set to miss the game.
“We are going to play with a strong XI, 100 per cent, because the group is really competitive between them, even if you change a certain number of players we are going to be a strong side,” Silva told Fulham’s channels.
“Rest is not the best word. I am not here to rest players. We can make some rotation, you can give some players the chance for them to play, because they deserve to.
“We made six changes against Tottenham, and it wasn’t because I wanted to rest some. It’s because I wanted to see other players that deserved it. And they did so well.
“Norwich is really important for us. We want to keep playing in this competition.”
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