The Leicester City manager sits down in the media suite at Seagrave to look ahead to this weekend’s Premier League clash with Southampton, a potentially big game at the bottom
Club football returns this weekend and Leicester City are straight back into the thick of things with a big match at the bottom. On Saturday afternoon, they head to Southampton for a battle between two promoted sides.
Last time out, City claimed their first Premier League victory of the season, beating Bournemouth. Southampton, meanwhile, are still looking for their first taste of three points. They’ve drawn one and lost six of their seven matches so far, and only avoid sitting bottom on goal difference.
Ahead of the game, City manager Steve Cooper will be sitting down with the media to give his thoughts and to give an update on the fitness of his squad as they return from international duty. Cooper is set to take his seat at 10am.
Back-to-back wins possible?
“That’s the exciting opportunity we have. It’s the recognition of the work we put in against Bournemouth. We’ve not been narrow-minded enough over the results to ignore that we’ve done good stuff in every game. We want to build on all of those things. We’re really excited about that.”
Targets?
“We’ve definitely set agreed goals with the team on what we want to achieve this year. That’s points and positions and other things as well that becomes our daily work. There’s always blocks throughout the season. To achieve any goal is focusing on what we’re in control of and that’s our commitment to our daily work.”
Ndidi – how’s he trained?
“He trained really well yesterday which was pleasing to see. Maybe he needed that release. He’s fine. We’ve checked with him in every way we can. He’ll be ready like everybody else.”
Stolarczyk?
“He’s back on the grass. His rehab is different because he’s a goalkeeper. He’s doing a bit of work with the goalkeeping coach.”
Choudhury?
“Hamza’s making decent progress. With an injury like his, it’s always whether there is an operation or you let it recover naturally. We’ve not gone down the operation route and he’s recovering nicely. He’s attacking the injury in a ruthless manner. He’ll be back when he’s ready, but we don’t know when yet.”
Southampton’s style – can work to expose it?
“Every team has a style of play. Every team has consistencies in things they do. We’ll always respect our opponents and expect them to be at their best.”
Not going to be straightforward this weekend?
“No games are straightforward. Whatever game it is, the position we’re in, we’re optimistic about having positive days in the way we want to go about our work. It is Southampton and it’s a game we’re ready for. It’s a chance to go back-to-back wins and create more positivity.”
Frustrated at timing of international break?
“Momentum is definitely the objective and we’re excited to create that. I wouldn’t say frustrated as you know it’s coming and you have a plan for it. It’s always better going into an international break with a win as everything is more optimistic. We’ve got to attack the game at the weekend.”
No Winks last time out?
“It’s a real positive thing that we can make decisions all over the pitch in terms of what we need for each game. This week, it’s about the context of what happens in the international break and how that affects selection. You need a strong squad and players pushing for starts. At times you need different profiles in every area of the pitch and that’s where you want to be.”
Pressure off now you’ve got first win?
“There’s always pressure, whatever you’re playing for. It’s great to get everybody back together. We have such a good opportunity to build momentum. We’ve seen signs of what we want to become. Training days are about striving to what we want to be. We see everything behind the scenes and we know the direction we’re travelling in. It’s a rocky road sometimes but we’re excited about the journey ahead. We’re really motivated to go to Southampton.”
Ndidi?
“He’s fine. He’s back with us, safe and well. We were in close contact with him throughout the situation they found themselves in. He kept us updated. There were wifi issues so it wasn’t as often as we would have liked. He was back with us soon after and has trained. He’s in a safe place, and that includes the mental side of it too.”
Daka?
“He’s making good progress. It was a serious operation he had. He’s not far off the final stages of rehab. You’ll see him on the grass from time to time but he’s still with the medical team.”
Fresh injuries?
“Nothing’s changed. Jannik Vestergaard has played a couple of games for the national team. He’s in a much better place now following his recovery from his ankle injury. We’re still waiting for a few to get back.”
Cooper has arrived
What’s on the agenda?
Here’s what we’re expecting Cooper to discuss today:
- The fitness of the squad, especially those returning from international duty
- How long Choudhury will be out for with his dislocated shoulder
- Southampton’s struggles and a big game at the bottom
- Whether last season’s big victories over the Saints can be relevant
- Work done during the international break
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