Cooper on Forest reunion, competition for places and 'believing in our way'
Leicester City boss Steve Cooper has been speaking to the media before Friday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest (kick-off 20:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On injuries: "Pato [Daka] has been on the grass and is progressing with his rehab. Jannik [Vestergaard] has had a recurrence of his ankle. It is a bit uncertain but hopefully it will only be a couple of weeks. Aside from that, we are as we were."
His reflections on the win at Southampton: "The last-minute goal painted the headlines but apart from the poor start we were the better team. We were more than good for the win over the 90 minutes. And there's no better reward for the players' commitment than winning matches."
On the performances of Jordan Ayew and Facundo Buonanotte: "We feel we have a good variety in the team, both in positions and age and experience. We keep saying that this is a Premier League club in every shape and form, but we left and we came back. We have to try to become an established Premier League team again. It was important we brought in some experience and know-how in the summer."
On competition for places in the squad: "The reality is that you need a squad because it is more than an 11-man game. It's a dangerous game when you don't have competition for places. There will be players on the wrong side of selection who will create questions. Every week I get asked, but that is just the nature of the job."
On facing former club Nottingham Forest: "It's a perfect game, whether it's the first or last game of the season, because it is a local game. These are games you want to be a part of. You can't fear them. You have to show who you are. Friday is a good opportunity to do that."
On the Forest fans: "I’ve not thought about it [the reception], to be honest. It's all about the game. I don't think about anything else."
On enjoying life at Leicester: "I've really enjoyed it. It's a great infrastructure with wonderful facilities. We enjoy our work and enjoy being part of this club. Having the two victories in the past two games has been great because we have seen the joy it has brought to the fans, the staff and the players."
Cooper added: "You always want more and there's definitely more to give. We see a lot of good in the performances but there's a lot we are still pushing the players on. There will be times where I am sitting here in difficult moments but we have to keep believing in our way."
Follow all of Wednesday's news conferences and latest football news here