Steve Cooper tells his Nottingham Forest players to ‘attack’ Manchester United in semi-final clash

Steve Cooper says Nottingham Forest “really wants to attack” their Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester United, which will see them play back-to-back games over the next two weeks.

Forest host United in the first leg on Wednesday, then head to Old Trafford for the second fixture a week later, having not had an intermission game due to their 4-1 FA Cup third round knockout at Blackpool.

Boss Cooper said at a press conference on Monday: “It hasn’t been easy to get to the semi-final, and we’ve treated it like any other game, one where we want to do well and win.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper (right) has been talking about his team’s chances ahead of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

The Cooper’s Forest team will face Manchester United in two games from Wednesday

“Unfortunately we’re out of the FA Cup, we’re not very proud of that and the way we did it, but these two games now fall into a two-week break from the Premier League.”

There’s enough recovery and preparation time to be ready for these games, no question about it. The two games have actually come at a good time.

‘It’s a semi-final, we really want to commit, we really want to attack it. Obviously it’s Man United, it’s two games, incredibly difficult games, but ones we don’t want to regret.

We are in the semifinal of an important cup. I think we should look at it thinking they don’t show up very often, so treat it like it’s the last.

Cooper stressed the importance of the cup clash, telling reporters: “They don’t come around very often, so treat it like it’s your last.”

Forest faces a Manchester United side looking to reach a first final under new boss Erik ten Hag

“There is a very good feeling about the semi-final in the city, the stadium will obviously be the atmosphere that has been in every game so far this season, which has been incredible, and we should really embrace it.”

Forest played Erik ten Hag’s United in the league in December, losing 3-0, with Cooper adding: “We felt we didn’t play with enough faith and courage in the game.”

‘It was going to be difficult whatever, and we could have played better and still not get anything out of the game. But we came off the pitch thinking we could have done a little better there, and I don’t want that in these games, I don’t want to regret it.

“We feel good pressure to want to do well, and I just want to make sure that we go into the games with a really positive mindset, I want the players to believe that they can be successful.”

Nottingham Forest reached the semi-final stage after beating Wolves on penalties in the last round.

Cooper admitted that he expected a better performance from his players than they produced in their 3-0 league defeat to United.

“Of course we will respect United and their strengths and there are many of them, they are dangerous in many ways.” But we have to believe that we can play well in this game and that we can make a positive contribution.”

Forest, a four-time League Cup winner and last in the semi-finals en route to finishing runners-up in 1992, has been evaluating midfielder Ryan Yates, who came off feeling ill during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.

Former United player Jesse Lingard could return to action, having returned to Forest’s matchday squad following a hamstring injury as an unused substitute at the Vitality Stadium.

Forest will be without goalkeeper Dean Henderson (right), who is unable to play because he is on loan from United.

Goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who is on loan from United, is ineligible and injured, having been ruled out for four to five weeks after suffering a thigh problem against Leicester on January 14.

Wayne Hennessey joined the squad on Saturday as the club weighs adding a new goalkeeper after Henderson’s injury.

Cooper said: ‘It’s still something we’re thinking about. In fact, we think Dean’s injury may have initially been much longer than it actually will be.

“Obviously, Wayne played over the weekend and we’ll see if we want to stick with that or if we’re going to make a change, but we haven’t decided yet, and if we do, it has to be right.”