Marco Silva insists that Leicester City will pose a serious test of Fulham’s credentials to remain in the top half of the flight tomorrow evening.

The Foxes lost both of their post-festive fixtures but Silva told his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to the King Power Stadium that he wasn’t about to take Brendan Rodgers’ side lightly.

“We go there with full ambition to get the three points, but we know their quality as well. We know what type of game they can play if they’re at their best level. After the break they’ve had two defeats – in the last one, I think they performed really well against Liverpool, the first one at home against Newcastle wasn’t their best game.

But they want to react, because I know – and they know as well – how they were strong before the break. They didn’t start the season well but they reacted and they started to get very good results, impressive scores as well, away and at home, against some good sides in this competition. They are really strong if they are at their best level, and we are preparing ourselves to play against them in their best level. It will be tough, it’s always a tough place to go. There’s a lot of individual quality around the team.

I think everything they have been doing since Brendan is there speaks for itself, even getting some important titles for the club. I think they are a really strong side. They want to react from the last two defeats, but at the same time, we want to keep doing the same – playing at our best level. We got a good result last game but we know that wasn’t our best performance. We know that for us to get the three points at Leicester we have to perform better than the last game and be stronger to fight for the three points, and that is what we’re going to do.”

Silva feels that the Foxes have enough creativity in the engine room to ask questions of Fulham’s defence despite the potential absence of playmaker James Maddison.

“Collectively, they are strong. They have a clear idea of the way Brendan wants to play. Some very good quality players in the midfield zone. With Maddison or without Maddison they are slightly different because you’re talking about a top, top quality player. And there is a moment for Tielemans to come back again in their XI, a player that can give them that extra quality in the midfield zone and that creativity that all the teams need.

And of course after they have good players like [Wilfred] Ndidi and [Boubakary] Soumare behind to support that midfield line and attack line. They will probably start the game with [Jamie] Vardy, and [Harvey] Barnes on the left hand side, who are always a threat for all the backlines that they play against.”