Nottingham Forest
Interest in Nuno’s options, what has been stated about the Nottingham Forest captain
Overseeing exits is a key priority for Nottingham Forest before the January transfer window closes. Reds head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has made clear his wish to work with a streamlined squad, and Andrey Santos and Gustavo Scarpa have already departed. Others seem certain to follow before the February 1 deadline.
Several players have question marks over their futures, including club captain Joe Worrall. Below, we take a look at the defender’s situation as it stands….
How has Worrall’s season gone so far?
The defender started the campaign as part of the first XI but then fell out of favour under Steve Cooper. He went two months without playing a game between October and December.
However, he has come back into the fold under Nuno and has featured three times since the Portuguese took charge last month. He started the first game against Blackpool in the FA Cup – the first time he had been in the starting XI since the 1-1 draw with Burnley on September 18. And he came off the bench in Wednesday night’s replay at Bloomfield Road as the visitors secured their place in the fourth round courtesy of Chris Wood’s extra-time winner.
Transfer interest
Worrall, a Nigel Doughty Academy graduate who is under contract until 2026, has his admirers. He has been linked with West Ham United, Middlesbrough and Leicester City. A Premier League club are believed to have asked about the possibility of taking him on loan.
What has Nuno said?
When he was appointed, Nuno stressed his arrival represented a clean slate for all players. He wanted to properly assess everyone in the squad before any decisions were made.
“All the players involved are important, it doesn’t matter if you participate in the game or you are on the bench,” Nuno recently said when asked whether Worrall was part of his plans. “From now on we are going to start making decisions. Joe is the club captain. Since day one I recognised that and I respect what he has done. But now he has to prove himself. He will have a chance to play, so after that we will see.”
Nuno has also said on the possibility of exits: “We all have to realise that we have a big squad and the moment will come when we have to make hard decisions. Every game and every training session has to be a moment for us to know them better so we can take the right decisions for the club.”
Defensive options
Centre-back is an area where the Reds are currently light on options. Moussa Niakhate and Willy Boly are on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, and the former seemed to suffer a knock earlier in the week. Brazilian Felipe remains sidelined and there is uncertainty about Scott McKenna’s future.
Nuno handed summer deadline day signing Andrew Omobamidele his debut against Blackpool in the FA Cup on Wednesday night. It would be a big call to keep the former Norwich City man in the starting XI for Saturday’s clash at Brentford, though, so Worrall might find himself back in the side.
Nuno has admitted injuries and AFCON absences will impact on the Reds’ transfer plans, while he has also acknowledged it is proving to be a tough window for strengthening. Prior to the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers’ boss arrival, Forest had wanted to bolster their ranks in central defence by targeting a right-sided equivalent of Murillo.
However, Nuno said in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Brentford: “You have to realise this is a difficult window to operate in because normally the targets you really want are not available. We have to be really careful. What you want is sometimes not what you get.
“We have to balance the squad due to the absences and the numbers in the squad. This is the work we are doing.”
