Winger Joe Lolley now has a spring in his step after a tough few months struggling for game time at Nottingham Forest.
The Reds are gunning for promotion as they approach their final 10 matches of the season. And the 29-year-old hopes he can have a role to play.
Injuries and illness hampered Lolley around the turn of the year, while he has also had to deal with muscle compartment syndrome throughout his career. He was particularly affected by the latter at the end of the 2019/20 campaign and the start of the following term.
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Spence price tag
Nottingham Forest loan star Djed Spence looks set to be playing Premier League football next season, regardless of whether the Reds or parent club Middlesbrough win promotion.
The right-back’s stunning form had perked the interest of some of the biggest clubs in the land, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham all being linked with the 21-year-old.
His exploits at the City Ground have understandably increased his value and Boro look set to cash in this summer, with his current deal at the Riverside still having two years left to run after he signed a contract extension before his move to Forest. He was allowed to leave on loan due to the emergence of another exciting right-back, Isaiah Jones.
According to the Daily Star ( via The Express ), Boro will demand a club record fee of £20million for Spence, a price which would only be in reach for top-flight clubs. Spence was sent out on loan by current Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder’s predecessor, Neil Warnock. However, in a surprise to many, Wilder opted not to recall Spence in January.
Blackpool clash
Former Derby County defender Richard Keogh has said that he "should be available" for Blackpool's Championship clash against Nottingham Forest after the international break.
Following their FA Cup exit at the weekend, Forest are back in action a week on Saturday as they travel to the coast to take on the Seasiders at Bloomfield Road in the day’s early kick-off. It’s a game that is now expected to see them come up against an old rival in Keogh.
The centre-back has been out of action with a calf injury since the start of February. The problem has seen him miss the last seven Championship games.
However, with clubs now in the midst of a two-week international break, the player has said that it gives him enough time to close in on a comeback. “The break is obviously going to benefit me,” he told Blackpool’s official website.
Championship predictions
It promises to be quite the finish to the Championship season as Nottingham Forest head into their final 10 games.
The Reds will return from the international break next week ready for one final push to make the play-off places. They are currently in ninth spot, three points below Blackburn Rovers in sixth, with at least one game in hand on most of their rivals.
The table is incredibly tight, though, with a number of teams battling to finish in the top-six. Just 10 points separate second-placed Bournemouth from Middlesbrough and QPR, in seventh and eighth, with Forest a point and a place further back.
Steve Cooper’s side will return to action with a trip to Blackpool a week on Saturday. That is one of six away games for the Reds in the final stretch, while Coventry City, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City all have to visit the City Ground.
