Every word Southampton's Eckert said ahead of Leicester City in FA Cup

Has training been good after a historic win over Leicester?

TE: It has been. We came back quite late, had a day off, and started the prep on Thursday.

Is everyone looking forward to the cup tie? Or is it a distraction?

TE: No, very much looking forward to the cup tie. We know the importance of the competition, and we make sure we have a good game and go on to the next round.

One game against Leicester doesn't necessarily make another, does it?

TE: It's been a lot of conversations over the last few days, also today, just to assess players. We've been having a quite tough schedule over the last weeks.

We have another nine games coming up until March 21. So taking all that into consideration, we just need to make sure we have the best possible line-up.

Some fresh legs on the pitch for tomorrow, but there's going to be a couple of changes.

How important is getting a win in the FA Cup for momentum?

TE: We play to win every single game. I think that has to be the approach. If that is the first game of the season on a friendly, if that is a play-off final.

If that is a league game, if that is a cup game, we play to win always. We're also going to do that tomorrow.

It's really important for the squad's fitness to keep going in the cup, isn't it?

TE: I agree. If you only take the last game and see how much impact we can create from the bench.

One condition to have an impact from players who have fewer minutes is that they get into a certain rhythm. That's why every single game is important.

There are going to be a couple of changes. I think it's also important that the players have the chance to express themselves on a big stage. We go in there to go into the next round.

How is the fitness? Have you got any new problems?

TE: Jack [Stephens] went in for a scan, but I hope he'll be fine for next week. Welly [Welington] went in for a scan as well, and he'll miss the game on Saturday.

Not so much from Tuesday, but Mads [Roerslev] is going to go into surgery on his Achilles on Monday.

Will that end his season?

TE: That's what it looks like at the moment. Some tough news. Obviously, we've had some players who have only been on painkillers over the last weeks, trying to make it for the game.

It's a tough period of the season. We've been playing since November without a break, and we have many more games coming up.

It's for us to go full tilt tomorrow and at the same time see that we don't risk players that are on the edge.

How much analysis have you done on the first half at Leicester?

TE: It's strange because even if you look at the first half, not going down the road of statistics too much, but we had a higher xG than Leicester after 45 minutes.

Obviously, being down 3-0 looks a lot different. I think that we had some decent moments, actually, only to go up after 20 seconds.

Some good moments later on in the half, also one after a free-kick, where we can score. I think on the other end, we just gave some very cheap goals away.

There's a bit of a structure on throw-ins that we need to work on, especially when we're defending. And then just to have the courage to play.

There's always going to be a couple of moments where you lose a ball that you might not have to lose, but then it's next action, next action, next action.

I think that's a step that we need to make going forward, that we don't lose courage just because we give the ball away.

Can you give out-of-contract players any reassurance that you're working on new deals?

TE: To be fair, I thought now that the transfer window closes, we have more of a conversation about opponents, but yes, of course.

I think all year round, you have a couple of things to sort out for the summer. I'm very happy with both of them.

I think they're having a great impact at this moment, on the pitch, but also off the pitch. [James Bree and Ross Stewart] are two great characters.

I'm sure there's going to be some conversation starting about how that continues after the summer.