RLB PRE FOREST

Regis Le Bris knows that it'll be a different fixture to the one we won earlier in the season but he's done his prep and is ready for the challenge...

FOREST

“Strong team, they are in the semi-final of the Europa League and are unbeaten in their last seven games. Well-organised, good players. They struggled at the beginning of the season which shows how demanding this league is, because if you don’t get momentum then you will chase momentum and the confidence and energy are sometimes a bit different and difficult to find. They are getting better and it is clear that they are now in good form. It will be tactical, it will be demanding, but it will be an exciting challenge once again.”

ARE WE READY FOR EUROPE AS A CLUB?

“We never know! It is a long journey for sure and it’s important to think about previous seasons. We had eight years in the second and third level, last season we got promoted and at the start of this season we were not expected to be in this position. We are growing fast but it’s important to reinforce the foundations. That is our job and after that, if we stay consistent then I think we are getting strong and stronger. You never know, it is possible to achieve something different. At the minute we have five games to play and the competition is so high.”

INJURIES

“Nilson and Bertrand are close to returning to part training next week, so they will be with the squad a bit. Jocelin started the sessions with us this week so we might go further next week, because he felt good. Nothing else to flag.”

REVERSE FIXTURE

“It was obvious when we won at the City Ground that they were good, because we struggled. It was a tight game and we scored with Omar on a set piece, but it was really balanced. I think in this league every team has good players and are well-coached. The fans can speak about the coaches but they have their ideas, sometimes it works with a specific squad in a specific context and sometimes it doesn’t work. That is still the case. They have better momentum, more confidence and more freedom. Sometimes there is a question of connection between players as well, they found the right work flow and now they are good. They are similar in different ways because they have more or less the same players, but with more confidence and more freedom I think it’s clear they are better.”

MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE

“We watched their attacking threats and he is one of them. He is a mobile ten who can play off the left as well with the ability to create a box in the middle, he’s a good finisher and he’s creative. This ability to be clinical, we spoke about Watkins and Rogers last week and he’s one of these players. He doesn’t need two, three, four chances to score, a half-chance will be enough.”

'WINNABLE' GAMES

“We want to win every game but the context is always different. It’s important to stay consistent. Sometimes when you are sure to be relegated you are no longer scared by anything, so you play with freedom and you can create something unexpected. Wolves for example, I think were able to get points against Arsenal and it wasn’t expected. So they are still a good team in the most demanding league in the world. It doesn’t mean it’s an easy game, it’s always a new story and you have to reset to find the solution and to win it.”