Matchday With The Manager – Doing What Needs To Be Done
The Foxes head to the City Ground looking for their first Premier League win since the season resumed following the FIFA World Cup break.
Both sides are level on 17 points in the table, placing added importance to a game which already holds real significance with both sets of supporters.
Ahead of the latest East Midlands derby between the two sides, Rodgers sat down with the media this week to preview this instalment of the historic battle...
The perfect game
City's manager has called on his players to show what they're made of in a game which is sure to test their resolve at a raucous City Ground - especially after Tuesday's Carabao Cup loss at Newcastle United.
"It's the perfect type of game that you want after the midweek game," he explained. "Our effort and commitment and everything was okay in the week.
"But if you want to win a game like that, you need to have more quality and we didn't quite have that. However, we move into the next game, that's gone now.
"We have a great game at the weekend and, like I said, it's the perfect type of game you want to come into. We played very well a few months back when we played them.
"We know it'll be a tough game going there, but this is where you have to show your mettle as a team and go and have that resilience and then hoping you have that quality.
"But certainly you have to match everything in terms of duels and being competitive and then look to find that quality in a game like this here that get the result."
Looking back to Leicester's 4-0 win over Forest at King Power Stadium, Rodgers recalled the positive impact that had on his side's seasons - helping them climb the league table.
"Yes, it definitely was," he said, when asked if it was a big moment in City's campaign. "We'd obviously been disappointing up until that point in terms of results, the break gave us a chance to reset.
"Obviously that performance then started a run of games where we looked much better and much stronger.
"Sadly for us, we've picked up some injuries since then, but we still have to go out and look to be as competitive as we can be and play with that quality and confidence, so that's our aim."
Each game is an opportunity
With the Foxes in need of a win to improve morale and to climb the table, Rodgers outlined his belief that every single Premier League fixture presents a chance to rewrite the narrative.
"We haven't started so well since we've come back," the former Liverpool manager conceded. "However, each game is that opportunity to change that in terms of results.
"It's the perfect type of game to respond in. We will go into it with a mentality to get a result. It just depends on the type of game. I've been in enough derbies where it is about quality as well.
"But, first and foremost, you have to be able to fight. You have to be able to win second balls, third balls, be competitive... and that was something that we didn't do when we played away last year.
"I think it was around February time last year when we played in the cup there... we were miles off in terms of that.
"So first and foremost you've got be ready to compete, defend forward and be aggressive... all the things that we constantly talk about and then have that calmness and courage to play.
"It makes for a great game. Like I said, we played very well in the fixture a few months back so if we can take that type of performance in then we should hopefully do well."
Admiration for Cooper's work
Rodgers also reserved praise for Forest manager Steve Cooper, who after guiding the club to promotion last term, had to gel 23 new signings in Nottingham this season.
Gradually, Forest seem to be settling into life in the Premier League and Rodgers believes that is down to Cooper's coaching acumen.
He said: "Yes, I think that obviously with Steve, there was a lot of change in the summer, lots of players coming in, and that always takes a bit of time to find the adoption for the players coming in.
"It takes time to find the balance of the team and, you know, having played a lot with the five in the Championship, and then coming up and playing that and finding the ways to win in the Premier League, especially with so many players... that opening period was probably difficult, like ourselves.
"But I think they look like they've found a settled team, a settled system of play, and obviously, a lot of the new players coming in now have adapted better.
"I think they will be feeling that they'll be a different team. Whatever team is out there, whatever shape, we know it's always going to be a tough game."