'We're not going to fear anything': Steve Cooper looks ahead to Nottingham Forest's trip to Blackpool

The East Midlands outfit travel to Bloomfield Road on Saturday for an early kick-off of 12.30pm, due to the game being televised live on Sky Sports.

Cooper’s side are currently in ninth, three points adrift of the play-off places with three games in hand, while the Seasiders are a further six points back in 13th.

Speaking ahead of the game, where Forest will be backed by around 3,300 away fans, Cooper said his players should embrace the challenge ahead.

"You try and use the international breaks as wisely as you can,” he told the club’s official website.

“We obviously have quite a few boys go away, so we have to build a programme around the ones who are here and get some good work done.

"It was a busy period between the November window to this one and there is always a notoriously crammed schedule around Christmas as well as cancellations and postponements.

"I will always focus on one game at a time, but we also know that we're getting towards the business end of the season where things really start to take shape.

"We've got to be excited about what's coming, we're not going to fear anything. That's why you're in it, you want something to play for at the end of the season and you should thrive on that.

"You'd much rather be in a position with something to play for than not at this time of the year, so if that's the case then let's get excited.

"We have a tricky game on Saturday. Blackpool have been really good this year and will be strong at home, but we're fully focused on what it takes to do well at the weekend."