Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche says he expects an injury sustained by Douglas Luiz to not be a “quick situation” and has urged his side to attack Europe with conviction when they face Sturm Graz.
Thursday’s fixture offers a timely opportunity for Forest to steady themselves after a turbulent start to the season that has seen them struggle domestically, sitting 19th in the Premier League and with one win in their opening three games in Europe.
Speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham’s Colin Fray, Dyche stressed the importance of balancing the club’s European ambitions with the ongoing battle for league form, insisting that his players must embrace both challenges with the same intensity.
Dyche said: “We can see what’s happening in the Premier League; there’s work to do there. There is in this, of course, everyone wants to be in Europe, including Nottingham Forest. We want to be taking these games on, and it is important that we get a good performance out of the players. We want to come here and win, of course.
“Everybody wanted Nottingham Forest back in Europe, and there is a lot of good feeling about Nottingham Forest and their history in Europe, and we certainly want to give a good show of ourselves.
“You’ve got to make players aware of the opposition; we have to be aware of that. But really, it still comes down to us. These players play against very good players week in week out in the Premier League, arguably one of the most powerful leagues in the world.
“Of course, Europe feels different, and we’ve got to handle that and make sure we deliver our performance because if we do that, then we can take care of the results.”
Midfielder Luiz – forced off in Saturday’s draw with Manchester United – and winger Callum Hudson-Odoi will miss the meeting with Sturm Graz.
“Douglas Luiz is going to receive treatment,” Dyche told a news conference.
“That is not likely to be a quick situation; we are waiting on more news.
“Callum is hopefully going to be slightly easier. He won’t be for this game, but we will see how it goes for the weekend.
“The international break is going to be important for a few players, to give them more of a chance to get fit. Woody is making good progress.”
Igor Jesus is suspended for the fixture, while Dyche is without the likes of Omari Hutchinson, Taiwo Awoniyi and Jair Cunha, who were all not included in the Europa League squad.
“We will have to look at changes and rotating,” said Dyche.
“I try to win every game, everyone will know that. I’m not one for rotating all the time, but on this occasion I think we have got to be careful with where we’re going to make sure our players are fit and ready to deliver.”
