What is the news regarding your health?

I'm getting better. I still have a bit of a headache but nothing like Monday. When I gave you the news for the web site on Monday afternoon I was really knackered. What's good is that Bobby Robson let us rest today. It's a day off for the team and I used it to sleep. It's now 13:00 (English time) and I've just woken up (laughs).

Will you be playing against West Ham?

As we're only playing on Sunday I think my flu will be gone completely by then. So there is a good chance that I will be in the starting eleven.

You left the training on Monday morning because of your flu. Did you go back the next day?

I did go but let me assure you it was not a pretty sight. When I shot at the goal the ball went just anywhere. It really was awful! I had no energy, I was exhausted. And yesterday we did some training without the ball. I was still feeling a bit weak but as I am on antibiotics, that is rather normal.

How is the integration of Sylvain Distin coming along?

Absolutely fantastic. He is very happy to be with us. Yesterday, he played with the reserves against Middlesbrough. I'm sorry but I don't know the result (we won 2-1 and Distin played the full 90 minutes). Since I didn't see him this morning I don't know how it went. For Sunday, he should be in the team but it's not sure yet whether he'll start. 

Do you look after him a bit?

He's coming over to my house for dinner every night. Besides, he has some basic English and he has no problems communicating with the coach and the players.

Do you know the West Ham team?

I learned about them last year through 'L'equipe du Dimanche" (football programme on French TV). Since then, there have been changes and I don't really know what the team looks like now. They're actually sitting at the tail end of the league at the moment but you can't really judge them by their position in the table. Seeing as they're having some problems and we are unbeaten so far I'm convinced that they will give their all to defeat us. On our side, the objective is to take home at least one point. If we see a chance to get all three you can imagine that we won't be shy to take them.