Marco Silva urges patience with record signing Kevin insisting he needs time to adapt | OneFootball

Fulham manager Marco Silva has called for patience with record signing Kevin (22), insisting it will take time for the 22-year-old Brazilian to adapt to English football. The winger made his full debut in Fulham’s narrow 1-0 Carabao Cup win over Cambridge, where Emile Smith Rowe’s second-half strike proved decisive.

Craven Cottage, only half full for the third-round tie, witnessed a laboured performance from a heavily rotated Fulham side that featured 11 changes. Kevin, signed for £34.6m earlier this summer, offered flashes of promise with neat touches and sharp runs cutting inside from the flanks, but was withdrawn late on after appearing to pick up a shoulder injury.

“Let’s see what’s going to happen,” Silva told Sky Sports. “He kept feeling the pain there.”

The Fulham boss emphasised that supporters should not expect instant impact from the club’s most expensive acquisition. “Kevin is in a process. He arrived 23 days ago, and the first 10 days, he was training with just 11 players during the international break. You can imagine how long it will take,” Silva explained. “He’s very talented; he has something different in terms of profile. But he needs time to understand his teammates and the type of football he is going to play here. Football is different in this country.”

Silva admitted Kevin faces a challenge, but insisted that, with minutes, his adaptation will come, and his potential will shine. Fulham will face Aston Villa away from home on Sunday.

GFN | Finn Entwistle