Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Porto at the City Ground (kick-off 20:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
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Elliot Anderson did not train on Wednesday because of “personal problems” and it is unclear if he will be available for the fixture.
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Pereira is “very happy” to have striker Chris Wood back from a long-term injury: “It is good because he has experience in dealing with these kinds of situations. He also has the quality to score goals, which is important. It is also his ability to help the rest of the team, he works hard even when we are defending.”
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When asked if he will select his Europa League starting XI with their next Premier League game in mind, he replied: “I need to think about both games because it is important to balance our energy. We need to face Burnley in our best condition because it will be a tough game again.”
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On whether he sees it as a straight decision between Europa League win and Premier League survival, he said: “We will try our best to keep going in both competitions, but with responsibility. We are trying to find a way to compete in both games, this is the only way that I know: working, working, working.”
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However, the players will “need to be consistent” in order to succeed in these two challenges.
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On Forest facing Porto for the third time this season: “We know the game will be very tough. I know them very well and I know we need to play at a better level than in the first leg. If we can do that, we will see what happens.”
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He is pleased that the club’s upturn in form is happening under his watch: “When we accept a job in the middle of a season, we know it’s because something isn’t going well, but I saw this as a good challenge. It is a pleasure to face Porto in the Europa League and Burnley next in the Premier League. It means we are here, we are fighting, we are alive and we have the energy to keep going.”
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His key message to the players has been about “being resilient, being confident, believing in our work and believing in our qualities”.
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On whether people are starting to see the ‘Vitor Pereira way’, he said: “I’m eager to compete and I want to prove myself every day, so this is my message and my way. My message to us and our supporters is simply: ‘Let’s go.’ I know we can win on the pitch.”
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James McAtee and Dilane Bakwa have proven they are “very talented” through their Europa League performances this season. He explained: “When you have players with this sort of talent, you just need to give them confidence, support and chances to play.”
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He added that both players have “potential”, but the Premier League “demands some adaptation” and luckily they have youth on their side.
Look back at Wednesday’s news conferences and the rest of the day’s football news
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[BBC]
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