Thomas on the international break ...

The first week I took some time off. I couldn’t travel anywhere but I just stayed in my house and relaxed. It was rotating the Head Coach to make sure I recharged the batteries. It was definitely needed and now I am ready to go again.

I have a fantastic staff and they did a great job with the boys who were in. Some needed a little extra so we arranged a game on Thursday at Charlton; it was good to get some game time into the players. They then had an opportunity to rest over the weekend which was needed and was really good for them. You could say it was tough for the internationals but, on the other hand, they had a new environment, seeing old friends, and playing for their country. From my perspective that always brings energy. This week has been incredible to train Monday, Tuesday, and yesterday; I really enjoyed that.

Thomas on fitness news ...

Everyone is available that was available against Nottingham Forest. No new ones are available to join.

Thomas on the season so far ...

We need to look at the bigger picture. That can be difficult for fans and everyone involved because we are running in this hamster wheel every day. We have eight points more compared to last season at this moment in time which is incredible. We sold two of the best offensive players in the league and needed to replace them. I think we have been the team in the top four who have been the unluckiest with injuries to key players; Pontus Jansson and Christian Nørgaard have been out for a big, big part of the season as have Josh Dasilva and Rico Henry. They have been unlucky injuries and our medical guys have done incredible to get them back quicker than we thought.

Thomas on the run-in ...

Going into this run it is about doing what we have done all season; keeping the eye on ourselves and trying to increase the pace as if we are in a race. If those who we are racing against increase the tempo, don’t stress because we know that we can go for our kill. It is all about keeping the noise away and looking at what we have done so far.

Thomas on learning from last year ...

More or less the whole squad has been in that situation last year. That is a massive help because you know how you react and you know how you did last year. We know we are in a good place and we know it is possible to get a lot of points in these games if we stay cool and focused on the next game. In the big moments at the end of the season it may be getting closer and then we will see how much we have learned. The funny thing is that if we play two good games at the end of the season but still lose, are we crumbling or are we just unlucky?

Thomas on The Terriers ...

They have done a relatively good job this season. They have tried to build for the future with a new coach coming in. We know they man mark more or less all over the pitch and they like to press forward. Offensively they are one of the most interesting and dangerous teams in the division; they are very difficult to close down and have a lot of possession. They create a lot of chances. It will be an open game as we will both try to press high. It will be about the team on the day who have that extra quality on the ball.

Thomas on the competitiveness of the Championship ...

The difference between the teams is so little and that’s why it is so difficult to get momentum in this league as you have to be at your absolute best to beat the other teams, even if, on paper, you should be a tiny bit better. When you look at the start of the season at the money that clubs are spending there are at least 18 clubs, if not more, who can dream about the top six. There are also eight to ten clubs who can dream about top two if they get that momentum; that is why it is really competitive.

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