Head coach Oliver Glasner has almost a full Nottingham Forest squad to pick from for Saturday’s crunch clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
Midfielder Ibrahim Sangare is available for the Premier League match at the City Ground (3pm kick-off) having recovered from the knock that kept him out of last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool. Full-back Nicolo Savona will be the only absentee, and the Italian is making progress in the knee injury that has sidelined him since last season.
When he is back in action, Glasner sees Savona as an option to fill in at centre-back given it is an area where the Reds are a little short of natural cover. Following the departures of Morato and Zach Abbott on loan, they are left with Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Ousmane Diomande and Jair Cunha as the natural centre-backs but both Savona and Ryan Yates are capable of slotting in there.
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“I think Nicola Savona can play this, he has the physicality,” Glasner said. “He's a right-back but he can also play centre-back
“He had a setback and today was his first time back on grass. Now we need to build him up step by step. Hopefully he can fully train with us during the international break or afterwards, and then he should be back soon.”
On his squad to face Spurs, Glasner added: “The good thing is everyone is fit, just Savona. But even now we have a small squad, with 20 on-field players fit, I still have to leave two players out tomorrow.
“Everyone has had really tough and intense training sessions, yesterday and on Tuesday. Everyone gave their all, and then the nice manager has to come and say, ‘Well done on the entire week but Saturday, you’re in the stand’.
“For me, it’s the worst decision I have to make as a football manager. It’s easy to make it if I see a lack of effort, because then I think the player doesn’t deserve to be in the match day squad.
“But if I see 100 per cent effort from everyone but still have to tell two players, ‘Sorry, but you can’t make the match day squad’ I understand every disappointment. But on the other side, we are all in professional sport and get paid a few pounds so you have to deal with the situations. But this decision is still the one I hate making the most.”