Speaking with the media before the game, the manager said: “This [fresh legs] was one of our reflections, I will say. We needed to bring a couple of fresh legs, especially up front, because in the last two games those guys [Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta] have been working quite hard, quite well. This is one of the reasons I made those changes up front.”
One noteworthy absence is Brentford’s Ivan Toney, with the talismanic forward not part of the Bees’ squad. Vieira was asked how this affects his side, but responded that there are more concerns today than one man:
“He’s a really important player for them, of course. But the strength of Brentford is the team. So lately they played well and didn’t get the awards they needed.
“Of course they didn’t have a good run, so it’s important for us to start the game well and not give them any hope. We will have to be consistent in the performance for 95 minutes.”