Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper admits it was a 'no-brainer' to start Chris Wood on the weekend just days after his loan arrival from Newcastle United. The New Zealand striker played 75 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth before being subbed off for Sam Surridge, who grabbed the equaliser for Forest.
Wood's first showing for the relegation battlers received mixed reviews but for Cooper it was an easy decision to throw him in the from the outset. “As soon as I knew he was definitely available, we were very clear about it,” the Forest boss said regarding decision to start Wood. “It’s given the dressing room a boost.
“Taiwo (Awoniyi) is not available, and I just felt we needed a bit more experience up there. Morgan (Gibbs-White) has been playing a little bit higher, but he went back into the No 10, because I knew Gustavo (Scarpa) needed a bit of a breather and to come on as a substitute.
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“For us, it was a no-brainer. We’re really pleased he’s got the first game out of the way, because he can’t play now for a couple of weeks, with being cup-tied.
Wood's exit has left Eddie Howe's side light in attack, with Newcastle now expected to go into the market for another forward. The loan move came out of the blue last week after Wood had previously spoken of his desire to remain on Tyneside.
Forest signed a boatload of players upon promotion to the Premier League in the summer but felt they needed another striker as soon as possible after Awoniyi's recent injury. Cooper is hoping Wood will be able to hit the ground running in February after watching on from the sidelines in the Carabao Cup semi-final this week and next due to being cup-tied.
“He’s got a couple of weeks where we can really get to work with him, talk about our identity and the role we want him to play. I didn’t want to overload him with information in 24 hours," he added.
“I know he’s experienced. We thought he’d just play a little bit of excitement and adrenaline. He’s really excited to be here - and we’re really excited to have him - so we just wanted him to be just enthused to go and play.
“He’s seen the away supporters and the noise they make as well. It’s a special club to play for, and we’re all lucky to play and work here, so it’s good we’ve got him."
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