Joao Teixeira is ready to make Nottingham Forest feel sick – after missing out on a glamour appearance for Albion.

The Portuguese playmaker is back in starting contention for Forest’s visit to the Amex today following a virus.

Teixeira bounced back to top form with two goals and an inspired display in the Seagulls’ last home game in the Championship against Ipswich.

The illness robbed the 22-year-old on loan from Liverpool of another chance to star in the FA Cup against Arsenal and restricted him to watching from the bench as an unused substitute in last Saturday’s defeat at rock-bottom Blackpool.

Boss Chris Hughton said: “I felt for him, because he had an excellent game against Ipswich which would have put him in a great position to start against Arsenal.

“When you are a young player like he is the Arsenal game is a massive game, so it was a real blow for him to miss it.

“He’s fine now. He’s had a really good week’s training. Although he was with us last week at Blackpool he wasn’t 100 per cent. He trained on the Thursday and Friday and even though medically he was fine – no problems with temperature – he was a little bit below-par.

“But he’s had a good week’s training and he is ready and available.”

A third league win out of five under Hughton will lift Albion, 21st, to within two points of 12th-placed Forest.