Brighton and Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi said that the trip to Nottingham Forest was the club’s most important match of the season.
Albion travel to the City Ground aiming to resume their push for a place in Europe after the agonising FA Cup semi-final defeat on penalties to Manchester United.
The Forest game tomorrow (Wednesday 26 April) against a side desperate to avoid the drop marks the start of nine Premier League games in just under five weeks for the Seagulls.
De Zerbi is determined to make history by bringing continental football to Falmer – not least to help ease the pain of the FA Cup exit at Wembley on Sunday.
He said: “We are still disappointed for the result. We played a fantastic game. We gave our best and we lost the game.
“We have to be stronger. We have to play tomorrow with the same passion, with the same attitude, with the same quality because we have another nine games, very important for us.
“We can change the history of the club. We can change the history of ourselves. And we have a big, big, big motivation to achieve it.
“To accept better the last result, we have a big opportunity to achieve the target in the Premier League.
“I think tomorrow is the most important game in our season. We have to restart in our way, in our style. And winning tomorrow for us is a great result.”
De Zerbi hopes that Danny Welbeck will be involved after he went off injured against United while he revealed that 18-year-old Argentinian midfielder Facundo Buonanotte will make his full debut.
Evan Ferguson will once again be assessed after missing the trip to Wembley with an ankle injury sustained in the 2-1 win at Chelsea the previous weekend.
De Zerbi is unwilling to take risks with the striker who has signed a new long-term contract until 2028.
The Republic of Ireland international was already tied to Albion until 2026, having signed his first professional deal on his 18th birthday last October.
He has scored nine times in all competitions this season, including four in the Premier League, and he grabbed his first senior goal for Ireland in last month’s friendly against Latvia.
The terms of the extension are understood to reward Ferguson’s recent progress – and De Zerbi believes that Brighton is the best place for the teenager to develop amid reported interest from Premier League rivals.
De Zerbi said: “It’s very important news. He can improve a lot with us.
“In Brighton, there are the right conditions for the young players – and he’s still 18. We have to not forget that.
“He’s playing very well. With the Man United (game), it was bad for us without him because he has different qualities. He can give us different solutions in the last 20, 30 metres.
“I don’t want to take any risks with him. We have another nine games and maybe he can be important for the last eight, if there is some risk (against Forest).”
After confirmation of Ferguson’s new contract, De Zerbi added on the club’s website: “The aim is to help him become one of the strongest strikers in Europe.”
Winger Solly March is expected to retain his starting place after missing the decisive penalty at the national stadium.
De Zerbi said: “Today we restarted training and the feeling is good for the players.
“For Solly, it can happen. In the penalty, you can score and you can make some mistake and there isn’t a problem.
“He has to be proud. We love him. We support him, especially when we lose and when we make some mistakes. Strong people are when you lose and you restart stronger.”
