Nottingham Forest are still weighing up whether to bring in another goalkeeper while first-choice Dean Henderson is sidelined.
Manchester United loanee Henderson is expected to be ruled out for at least a month with the thigh injury he suffered in the 2-0 victory over Leicester City. But with the Reds not in Premier League action again until February 5, when they host Leeds United, the club are debating whether they need to dip into the transfer market for cover.
Before that match against Leeds, Forest have a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Henderson’s parent club, which he would have been ineligible to feature in anyway - potentially limiting the impact of his absence. Barring a new arrival between now and Wednesday night’s first leg against United at the City Ground, Wayne Hennessey will keep his spot after replacing Henderson in the starting XI for the weekend’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth, with Jordan Smith as back-up.
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“It’s still something we’re thinking about,” said head coach Steve Cooper, when asked about the possibility of signing a keeper. “We actually thought Dean’s injury might have been initially a lot longer than what it’s actually going to be.
“He couldn’t have played in the semi-finals anyway, and unfortunately we were knocked out of the FA Cup, so there’s a bit of a break in Premier League football. We’re weighing all of that up and seeing whether it’s right to go with what we’ve got.
“Wayne played against Bournemouth at the weekend. We’ll see if we want to keep with that or whether we’re going to make a change.
“But we haven’t decided yet. And if we do, it’s got to be right.
“Dean hasn’t had loads of injuries, certainly muscle injuries, in his career and he’s still fairly young. Sometimes you have to see how players recover from injuries; some can recover a lot quicker than others. If he does great, if he doesn’t, then we will deal with it as it comes.”
Forest have made three signings so far this month, bringing in Gustavo Scarpa, Danilo and Chris Wood. Further incomings and outgoings are expected before the window closes next month.
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