West Ham Manager Lopetegui Addresses Player Fitness, Upcoming Nottingham Forest Match

Julen Lopetegui, the manager of West Ham, addressed the media ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest, scheduled for a 15:00 GMT kick-off. The following are the main points from his press briefing: Regarding the team’s fitness, Lopetegui stated: “Unfortunately [Niclas] Fullkrug is not ready to play. He’s working on his recovery. We don’t have a clear date when he will be back. He’s trying to recover with the help of medical staff. He’s out, definitely.” Addressing the upcoming match against Nottingham Forest, he commented: “Very tough, in my opinion they are playing and competing very well. They have very good, strong and physical players. They have a good coach and very clear ideas. That’s why they have 16 points and have had a brilliant start and they were able to win against Liverpool and more matches.” He further remarked: “The demand in the match is going to be very, very high and we have to be ready. I can ensure it is going to be a strong and difficult challenge for us. We are ready to go to Nottingham. The most important thing isn’t the place, it is the match and the opponent.” When questioned about his planned formation, Lopetegui responded: “Each match is different. We decide what is best for us. Let’s see what we do in this match. Our choices aren’t the most important thing. It’s also the behaviour of the players I put on the pitch, but not only in the line-up, the players on the bench, they are key. We have to be ready, all of us.” Pertaining to whether Crysencio Summerville might start, he stated: “I am not going to talk about individual players or the line-up for the next match, so let’s see. We have different situations and players to choose, so we are going to pick a team that is going to help us more to be able to compete because they demand a lot, so we have to be ready.” Addressing the team’s morale after their victory against Manchester United, Lopetegui remarked: “You can’t stay thinking about the past. Football is quick and it’s been a short week for us. We forgot the last match. We have to be ready for the next challenge. Sometimes when you lose you have to keep positive, you have to improve. It’s the same this week. I always want to win. We are more happy when we win.”