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Football London

Sport

Rob Guest

Every word Antonio Conte said on Romero injury, transfers, Son's form and his talk with Paratici

Antonio Conte Son Nottingham Forest EPL Tottenham Forest Bryan Gil Cuti Fabio Paratici Sergio Reguilon

Team news?

About Cuti, Cuti's recovery is going very well. I think at the start of next week, like Skippy, they start to have the training session with the rest of the team, but for this game they are not available.

I have to check a couple of situations about Lucas and Gil because today they didn't have a training session with us but we have tomorrow to make the right decision for both players.

What's the latest on players leaving the club?

For sure if there are players that go out, then we need players to come in. The club know very well the importance for me to have a squad with a couple of players in every role.

For sure we want to make happy every single player but at the same time we have to make the right evaluation for our club, for our team so we'll see what happens.

In terms of Reguilon and Winks, has there been any bids?

There are players that are in the plan and other players we want to try to give them the possibility to play more regularly and to take more time to play. I repeat we are trying to find the best solution for both the club and the team, but also for the players.

Is Son's start to the season an issue with his confidence? If it is, do you keep him in the side to regain it or do you take him out of the team?

You know very well we're talking about a really really important player for me and for the club. For sure, I think Sonny in the last three games had chances to score but there's a moment where you're a bit lucky or a bit unlucky. I think no problem with Sonny's performance, his attitude & commitment is always up very high. I'm happy with his performance and I don't see any problems with him.

For sure, you know very well when you're a striker you like to score and when you score and win you're happy. But at the same time we always have to put the club winning before the interests of ever single player. But it's not a problem. I repeat, he's an important player, last season he scored 23 goals... No problem. No. I'm sure when he goes to score he will gain the right confidence.

Thoughts on the Champions League draw?

You know very well we're talking about the most important and most difficult competition in Europe, maybe in the world. Because you find the best teams in the world in this competition. Our group, I see balance. I see balance in our group.

For sure our target is to try to go to the next round, this has to be clear. I think we gained the possibility to play this important competition and we want to enjoy, to play good football and possibly to go far.

How excited are you to take Tottenham to Nottingham Forest for the first time in a while and what have you made to their start to the season?

Forest started the season very well. I think it's good, nice to have Nottingham Forest in the Premier League because we're talking about a club with a great history.

I've seen there's a great enthusiasm, great atmosphere, my expectation is to play around a lot of noise. But we're working well and preparing well. We know the game will be difficult. We have to go into the game with the right mind and try to do our best.

Nottingham Forest have brought in 16 players this summer, have you ever had to bring that amount in and does that make them harder to prepare for?

Honestly, I don't like to speak about other clubs and the way they go and try to work. Every club tries to work in the best possible way. I think Nottingham Forest did a great transfer market and to have a lot of signings can help them. For sure they want to keep in the Premier League and this is very clear.

I think the owner is really strong and yeah... we're talking about a really good team. [Jesse] Lingard now is playing there and the whole team is really good.

Does the season get more difficult from this point on with the amount of games coming up?

Yeah, I know this. Today I was talking also with Fabio Paratici about the difficulty. To play one game every seven days is one thing. To play many games every three days is totally different. This is the period where you understand which team, which squad are really good to be competitive.

For many situations, to play every three days, for injuries, because players start to be tired and you have to make rotations, it's the right moment to understand if your squad's depth is good and is the depth right and quality right. But this is for every club.

The general consensus in the past few games has been good results but not great performances from the team, do you view it in that way or slightly different?

Honestly I think the performances were good in my opinion. For sure if you think you play against Wolverhampton and you won. Compared to last season we lost 2-0 and after the first half we struggled a bit and then media or somebody thinks every game we go to win 2-0 or 3-0, you're in the wrong way.

Because we have to fight in every game. Do you think it will be easy against Nottingham Forest on Sunday? I don't think so. We know our strengths and weaknesses. We are trying to improve these aspects but I repeat: the presumption has to not be part of us. We leave the presumption to others, to tell what they want to say.

We have to continue to work. Now we have seven points more than last season. With these three teams we lost. This is the truth. If someone tries to see negative aspects, OK it's good. We're working to improve.

What are the weaknesses and what are the things you've picked out ahead of the next few games?

We want to try to improve always in every aspect. I have seen a lot of positive things. For sure, if we were the team of last season, on Saturday we wouldn't win. I'm sure. Because this team is now becoming resilient and learning to suffer.

I think if you want to become competitive you need to find and improve this situation. Against Wolverhampton it was the first time this season we didn't concede a goal this season. I see a lot of positives things. Every single person tries to see the situation in the way they want to see it.

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