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Van Nistelrooy on 10-day break, Maresca's familiarity and Monga future

Van Nistelrooy on 10-day break, Maresca's familiarity and Monga future

BBC News07-03-2025

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game at Chelsea (kick-off 14:00 GMT).Here are the key lines from his news conference:Woyo Coulibaly is back available after missing out on the game against West Ham. The right-back has recovered from some "little bits" and he has "trained as expected" this week.The squad have "taken advantage" of their 10-day break from action: "We had a long week, with many days to work and look at the West Ham game. We will have had five sessions together to prepare for this game. It was important to work with the team as you have to recover from the bad result and rise again."He confirmed the squad has spoken about their "approach to games" and "how it should be" moving forward into a tough run of fixtures. He added: "This team is capable of doing it. We are not the only team in this situation, dealing with loss after loss, so we have to make sure we are ready for Sunday."Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca "knows the squad", after earning the Foxes promotion to the Premier League last season, but Leicester City's backroom staff have "the necessary information to be prepared" for their trip to Stamford Bridge.On the opponents, he added: "I watched their game yesterday [against Copenhagen] and I looked at how they play, their approach, the squad they have, the quality they have, and the fight they are in to qualify for the Champions League."He is aware of the "big task ahead" but is confident his team "will do everything possible to get a result".When asked whether every game from this point forward is a "must win" rather than a "must not lose", he responded: "The approach is - and has always been - to get the maximum amount out of the game and to always plan to be able to win. If you can't win then you want to protect the result." There will be a "similar approach" against Chelsea.There has been some speculation around the future of academy product Jeremy Monga, who has been "part of the training set-up" this season, but "the priority is to do absolutely everything" they can to keep him at King Power Stadium.The Foxes have already had conversations with the winger, his agent and his family about his future at the club, including plans to use the youngster during pre-season.Listen to full commentary of Chelsea v Leicester on BBC Radio 5 Live at 14:00 on SundayFollow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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