NEIL Lennon is playing down the “Dougie effect” in tomorrow’s clash with Nottingham Forest.

As Dougie Freedman prepares to return to the Macron Stadium for the first time since his departure as manager last October, his successor has better things to worry about than stoking up the potential hostilities.

Lennon’s side are on a six-game run without a goal and dropped to the foot of the early Championship table in midweek after a defeat at MK Dons.

Despite their troubles, Wanderers are trying hard to ramp up the atmosphere, reducing ticket prices to £15 for adults and £5 for concessions.

While safe to say Freedman – and perhaps former Bolton skipper Matt Mills – will receive a hostile reception on his return to the dugouts he occupied for nearly two years, Lennon is concentrating solely on getting a result.

“It shouldn’t have any effect whatsoever,” he told The Bolton News.

“I think after the MK Dons result it should make it imperative we get something out of this game regardless of the outside storylines to it. I’m not concentrating on that at all.

“That was then, this is now. We need to start hitting the back of the net.

“If we play as well as we did at MK Dons week in, week out, then we’ll be okay.”

Lennon will finally be able to welcome Wellington Silva into his squad after voicing his frustration at the club’s failure to complete the requisite paperwork for the Brazilian to feature on Tuesday night.

Wanderers remain the only team outside the Premier League without a goal and Lennon is hoping the Brazilian can spark a change in fortune on the scoring front.

“We hope so – he’s got that kind of quality,” the manager said. “Goals will come but then I’ve been saying that for the last few weeks. It’s not as if they (the strikers) are not trying to make things happen – they are.

“We need it sooner rather than later. We don’t want to be caught adrift.”

It seems unlikely that Italian defender Francesco Pisano will feature against Forest, with his signing also confirmed yesterday after a medical in Manchester.

But there remain big question marks over the left-back slot as Dean Moxey’s involvement has been put into doubt because of a toe injury.

X-rays have shown there was no break in the injury sustained late in the game at Stadium:MK but Lennon could offer Spanish full-back Jose Manuel Cosado a short-term deal to act as cover.