Brighton and Hove Albion will not take risks with the fitness of star striker Joao Pedro, head coach Fabian Hürzeler said.
The Albion boss added that he was confident that other members of his squad would chip in with goals.
Seagulls forward Pedro missed the 0-0 draw at home to newly promoted Ipswich Town last weekend and is being assessed before Albion host Nottingham Forest at the Amex tomorrow (Sunday 22 September).
The 22-year-old, who sustained an injury on international duty with Brazil earlier this month, contributed 20 goals in all competitions last season and has already hit two in three games this term.
Yesterday, Hürzeler said: “He will train today with the team and then we have to see how it’s going – if he can train fully, if he can do all the movements.
“Of course, we won’t take any risks but he will be part of the training today.”
Pedro was the only Brighton player to reach double figures in front of goal last season after his £30 million move from Watford.
After the frustrating stalemate against the Tractor Boys, a much-changed Albion side had no trouble finding the net during the 3-2 Carabao Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday (18 September).
Carlos Baleba and Ferdi Kadioglu claimed their first goals for the club, either side of Simon Adingra’s third strike this campaign.
Hürzeler said: “It would be easy as a coach to say we miss Joao Pedro and if Joao Pedro would have played against Ipswich we would have won but it’s not my way of working or my philosophy.
“It’s very important that not only we know but also the opponent knows that we have several players with the ability to score, with the ability to make the difference.
“Every team in the Premier League has this key player, this player who makes a difference, and in our way it’s Joao Pedro. But we also have other great players who can make the difference.
“We have (Kaoru) Mitoma. He can make the difference. Simon can make the difference. (Yankuba) Minteh can make the difference. Danny Welbeck already scored.
“We have now Georginio Rutter. We have Evan Ferguson. We have young players in the midfield like Carlos and Yasin (Ayari). They all have the ability to score.
“We have to make them score. We have to help that they increase their percentage of making assists, of making goals – and that’s our job, to develop them and to make a team who is not only fixed on one player.”
