Nick Nurse has told his Brighton Bears to go out and enjoy the next stage of their European adventure.

Bears trained enthusiastically at the 4,500 capacity La Meilleraie last night ahead of their ULEB Cup tie with home side Cholet.

The French side have serious ambitions of progressing to the last 16 but cannot afford a home slip up after narrow defeats at Sopot and Lietuvos Rytas.

Bears chief Nurse said: "Cholet will see this is as a must-win game and that will make them really ready to play.

"Our guys better make sure they are ready to go as well but I want them to have a little more fun. We have got to relax a little bit more, play with the same intensity defensively and maybe get a bit more risky with our offence."

Andy Gardiner has not made the trip. Bears suspect his knee injury could be ligament damage which would rule him out for the rest of the ULEB Cup campaign.

Tom Frederick, however, is rated at close to 100 per cent after his foot injury temporarily flared up at Scottish Rocks on Friday and he will play a full part in the contest.

Cholet went down to high-flying Le Mans in league action on Sunday and admitted they felt jaded as they let slip an eight point advantage.