Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere are no new injury concerns, which Le Bris said is "good news" before a three-game week.
He said there will be natural squad rotation for the next three games and has "had this conversation with the players" already.
On bouncing back from defeat at Fulham last Saturday: It's part of our journey in the Premier League. We expected a tough game. It wasn't a surprise. It's not a concern - it is just a reminder about the level of this league. We are always able to react after defeat so I hope it will be the case once again."
Saturday's opponents Bournemouth are "a good model for us" in "the way they have built in the last four seasons" to establish themselves as a Premier League team.
On Sam Allardyce calling Granit Xhaka the best number six in the league: "The Premier League has many good players and midfielders. We are really happy to have a player like Granit. His level on the pitch, his standards and the way he leads are really good for our team."
He said Sunderland "don't need to be scared" by the upcoming fixtures as they "know the challenge will be big" but are an essential part of improving.
Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Listen to live commentary of Sunderland v Bournemouth on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra from 15:00 GMT on Saturday