Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper to Sky Sports: "A lot of the players have been away on international duty, but a lot stayed. A lot of those were new players as well so we had a bespoke training programme for them and used the time wisely."

On Jesse Lingard's selection: "Jesse has undoubted quality and experience. We need a good version of Jesse game in, game out to give us a chance to pick up points. I've talked at length to Jesse about that. We need him but we also need everyone else on the pitch to concentrate on their performance and if we do that we have the best chance of making it a positive night."

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers speaking to Sky Sports: "We are very positive. We've done some good work since the Tottenham game. It's about continuing the positivity in our attacking game because that's been OK, but sometimes the game is about the desire to not let the ball go in the goal [at the other end].

"So if we can stay focused on that and be strong, then with our with attacking game we know we can give any team a problem.

"We played well at Spurs until 70 minutes. This is a league where you have to close every space to stop the counter attack even when you have the ball, so this time [during the international break] has given us the chance to reset and reinforce the confidence of the team. You are never going to win games of football if you can't defend.

"I think it's a season-changing game this evening. We should have won before now but we haven't. So tonight is a great opportunity in a derby game. You get the win, it gives you that confidence and allows you to push on."

• Leicester have won just one of their past seven league meetings with Nottingham Forest (drew four, lost two), with this the first time the sides have faced in the league since a 2-2 draw at the City Ground in February 2014.
• Nottingham Forest have lost just one of their six Premier League meetings with Leicester (won three, drew two), winning the last such game between the sides 1-0 in May 1999. It turned out to be Forest’s last top-flight match before their return this season.
• Though they haven’t met in the league for more than eight years, Nottingham Forest did beat Leicester in their last meeting in all competitions, winning an FA Cup tie 4-1 at the City Ground last season. Forest last won back-to-back games against the Foxes in March 1995 (a run of three).
• Leicester remain the only winless side in the Premier League this season (drew one, lost six), while they last failed to win any of their first four home games to a league campaign in 2001-02 (drew two, lost two), finishing bottom of the Premier League that year.

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Owynn Palmer-Atkin, BBC Radio Leicester

With the club propping up the table, and 22 goals conceded in seven matches, the international break offered much-needed respite to City's worst start to a Premier League season.

They have to sort out their woeful defensive record, which has led to valuable dropped points and put them at serious risk of being dragged into a relegation battle - if indeed they're not already in one.

Our understanding is that Brendan Rodgers will be given more time to turn this start around. That further, and perhaps final, chance, begins with - in the Leicester boss' own words - "no better game": a home derby against Nottingham Forest. It's the first time the sides have met in the top flight since 1999.

Following that are games against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Leeds and Wolves.

Points have to start coming for the Foxes to rescue the ambition of securing a fourth top-10 finish under Rodgers.

Midfielder James Maddison has been a rare bright spot for Leicester in a tough start to their season.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Nottingham Forest manager Frank Clark says he is convinced the Reds can avoid relegation if “everyone keeps their heads” at the City ground.

The 79-year-old, who won the European Cup with Forest as a player, went on to succeed the late, great Brian Clough following the club’s top-flight relegation in 1993.

He took Forest back to the Premier League in his first season in charge, then led them to a third-place finish, which earned Forest a place in Europe the following year.

Forest’s latest Premier League absence lasted 23 years, and while they sit second from bottom after seven games with just four points, Clark says manager Steve Cooper has the players to ensure they stay up.

When asked on BBC Radio Nottingham’s In the Game programme if Forest could avoid relegation, Clark said: “Yes, I have no doubt about that.

“It will be a struggle, but we will definitely stay up if everybody keeps their head. The problem is Forest have very good players, but the cohesion isn’t there. And that’s understandable.

"You can’t snap your fingers and bring a group of players together and expect it be cohesive against a team that has maybe played together for two years. Once things settle down and Steve gets a better idea of what his best team is, we will be alright. We will survive.”

Leicester: Sam Holloway, Leicester FanTV, external

We have a better chance of staying up [than Forest], but only if Brendan Rodgers goes. The players have clearly downed tools and don't want to play under him any longer.

It's very toxic at the moment being a Leicester fan. We know Rodgers can show us his quality, he's won two trophies and got to a European semi-final mostly with this squad of players but he doesn't look up to it anymore.

As for Forest, they have just signed over 20 players who all have different styles. They've also been very good at dropping points this season. Then again so have we.

At this rate, both East Midlands clubs look like they're going down, so it's a scrap of a match. Our problems though come from management unlike Forest who don't have a squad but a team of individuals.

Saveena Johal, Punjabi Forest, external

"The match against Leicester City is a vital one for many reasons.

"It will be the East Midlands derby neither team can afford to lose - with far more resting on it than simply the local rivalry.

"Leicester are bottom of the table, with Nottingham Forest only three points above them.

"However, our place seems justifiable - the result of an intense recruitment and team-building process - and this sets us apart from the Foxes, who have mostly retained their squad.

"Obviously, beating Leicester is fresh in the Forest memory, given it's only eight months since that 4-1 victory in the FA Cup fourth round.

"A three-goal advantage in this one would, of course, be phenomenal - but so too would a draw.

"Picking up one point away from home would still be lucrative from what will, in all likelihood, be an intense Monday night battle."

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at the King Power Stadium

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper is watching his side's warm up from the technical area.

Cooper earned so many plaudits for bringing Forest back to the Premier League after a 23 year absence.

However, defeat tonight will send Forest to the bottom of the Premier League, which is not what owner Evangelos Marinakis was thinking when he sanctioned the signing of 23 players - not all of them for the first-team admittedly - in the summer.

Chris Sutton
Former England striker

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These are the bottom two teams and really anything could happen here. It's hard to back either side to win it, because we know about their flaws.

Leicester actually played quite well at times against Tottenham in their last game, but they just cannot defend - whether it is from set-pieces or open play.

There was a lot of talk about Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers losing his job during the international break on the back of that 6-2 defeat - but he survived, and I can't see them sacking him even if Leicester lose this game too.

It wouldn't make any sense to get rid of him now, rather than during a break in the campaign when a new coach has got a bit of time to bed things in, but things need to improve before the season stops for the World Cup in mid-November, because that is an obvious time for struggling clubs to change their manager.

Forest keep losing too, but I have massive sympathy for manager Steve Cooper because of the amount of change there has been to his squad.

Cooper is going to need time for his new-look team to gel and, in the meantime, they are going to find it tough.

I do think Forest will score here - Leicester just can't keep a clean sheet - but I think the Foxes will edge it, and get a much-needed win.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Match of the Day 2 pundits Jermaine Jenas and Troy Deeney criticise Wolves' decision-making and mindset under Bruno Lage, who was sacked by the club on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers and Steve Cooper will be desperately hoping for three points tonight to ensure they are not the next to lose their jobs in sacking season.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

Two Premier League managers under pressure at the King Power Stadium tonight - another Midlands boss got the boot yesterday in Bruno Lage, who was shown the door at Wolves.

It is looking likely Steve Davis and James Collins will remain in charge for Saturday's trip to Chelsea as Wolves are keen to extend their search beyond the Portuguese market, where they got their last two managers from.

That does not mean the new boss won't be Portuguese, given the number of players from that country at Molineux and the club's close links with Jorge Mendes' Gestifute agency.

But the feeling is the crucial home game with Nottingham Forest on 15 October is a more likely opening game for Lage's replacement.

There will have been a lot of work done recently on both training grounds defending set-pieces...

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Nottingham Forest's aim at the start of the season was to avoid relegation and, as things stand, the club are where they should be in the table, says former Reds winger Paul Anderson.

Seven games into the season, Forest are in the bottom three after one win, one draw and five defeats. But Anderson believes that the campaign will turn out positively.

He told BBC Radio Nottingham: "If we’re going into the football side of it, from a Forest point of view, they have done OK.

"We talk about bonding in a team and gelling and giving it time. Forest have just made a record number of signings in one transfer window - and it had to be done. I think everyone is open and honest about that.

"I think the fans knew, and the club knew, that Forest were not in a position to compete with the lack of squad they had at the end of last season. It’s going to take time.

"You have people coming from all over the world and Steve Cooper has got to bring them all together, get them on the same page. I think there has been some really positive performances at times.

"What would expectations have been at the start of the season? As soon as we got promoted, it was: 'Can we avoid relegation?' They are going to be in a bit of a relegation scrap potentially but, right now, Forest are probably where they are supposed to be.

"Given a little bit of time, it will hopefully be positive at the end of the season."

Some fans may be struggling to get to the King Power Stadium on time tonight after a section of the M1 in Leicestershire has been closed in both directions following a car fire.

National Highways said the motorway had been shut between junctions 21 for Leicester and 20 near Lutterworth. Leicestershire Police said it was likely to cause significant traffic disruption and advised motorists to avoid the area.

All lanes have reopened between junctions 21A and 21 following an earlier crash. At 18:52 BST on Monday, there were delays of 30 minutes northbound and 45 minutes southbound, according to National Highways.

Traffic heading southbound had already encountered delays of up to one hour following a crash that caused two lanes to close between junctions 21A and 21.

It comes as football fans from across the East Midlands travel to Leicester for the Premier League match between Leicester and local rivals Nottingham Forest.

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Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper says his side's poor run of form has only strengthened his conviction to be a success in the East Midlands.

Since taking charge in September 2021 with the club languishing in the Championship, Cooper has masterminded an incredible rise to the Premier League - although four defeats in a row have stalled the feel-good factor at the City Ground.

"It hasn't dented our spirit but instead made us even more motivated," said Cooper. "It's made me realise how important this job is to me and how much it means to me.

"I'll always stand up and be counted and what's also good is the players are thinking internally, being collaborative and talking about how to improve."

Forest play their first game in 17 days at Leicester on Monday and Cooper is relishing a chance to consign their bad run to history.

"Our focus is on raising our levels," he said. "We're doing everything we can to get points and if we can start getting some positive results then things will look a bit different."

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Steve Cooper has only been in charge of Nottingham Forest for just over 12 months and what an incredible job he has done.

He was appointed on 21 September, 2021 with the club bottom of the Championship and with just one point from seven matches with a relegation battle to try to stay out of League One on the cards.

Incredibly, Cooper turned the season around, getting them into the play-offs where a 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town at Wembley saw Forest return to the Premier League for the first time since 1999.

Understandably, it has been tough for them this season. All their four points so far came in their opening three games - a 1-0 win against West Ham and a 1-1 draw at Everton.

However, Forest have lost all of their past four games - against Tottenham, Manchester City, Bournemouth and Fulham to sit one off bottom.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Rob Tanner from the Athletic told BBC Radio 5 Live that Leicester's form "has to change dramatically tonight".

The Leicester reporter said: "Watching them, they're so fragile and so vulnerable defensively. Going forward they look like they can score goals but they just can't keep it out the net. At the moment it's a recipe for disaster.

"It really has to change dramatically tonight, there's a lot of pressure amongst the home fans so if they get off to a poor start they'll turn."

On the feeling among the fans about manager Brendan Rodgers, he said: "Many of the supporters now feel the best way forward would be for a change. But the club won't and are reluctant to do that because of what they've invested and achieved under Rodgers.

"He's still got a squad full of talent but a lot of them are drastically under-performing."

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Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers insists he is the right man to guide the Foxes up the table after a poor start to the season.

Rodgers, 49, has come under pressure having failed to win any of the first seven games of the season, leaving Leicester bottom of the Premier League.

However, the former Liverpool boss is confident he can turn things around.

"I'm the best person to help this team move forward," said the Northern Irishman.

"I haven't [spoken to the owners]. The ownership trust me and expect I will turn it around. If they don't they will tell me.

"If you are bottom and have lost six out of seven you are not going to be flavour of the month. You don't isolate yourself, that's important, I love working with these players.

"I believe, like last season, we will come good. It has been a tough start but I see these players work and it ultimately gives me strength."

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These are tough times for Leicester after their most successful period in the club's history.

An against-all-odds Premier League title success, a run to the Champions League quarter-finals, Wembley wins in the FA Cup final and Community Shield, reaching the last four of a European competition - Foxes fans have had a lot to celebrate.

But nothing lasts forever and those supporters are now fearing a relegation battle.

Brendan Rodgers' side, who have finished fifth, fifth and eighth in the past three seasons as well as winning the FA Cup, have picked up just one point from seven matches - a home draw with Brentford on the opening day.

Leicester have lost six league games in the row, although five of those have been against sides currently in the top six - Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Brighton and Tottenham.

Nevertheless, the pressure is mounting on Rodgers and that will increase if the Foxes were to lose a home derby tonight.