Long-term Nottingham Forest absentees Moussa Niakhate and Omar Richards remain in "the latter stages" of rehabilitation as they work their way back from injury.
Centre-back Niakhate has been sidelined with a hamstring problem since August and has suffered a number of setbacks during his recovery. Fellow summer signing Richards, meanwhile, is yet to make his debut for the Reds due to being out with a hairline fracture of the leg.
Head coach Steve Cooper recently said he hoped the two defenders would soon be able to join in full training. And ahead of Wednesday night's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester United, he has provided an update.
READ MORE: Man United star a 'doubt' for Forest semi-final as update issued
READ MORE: Forest should have one big worry over signing Jonjo Shelvey
"They are still at the latter stages of rehab," said Cooper. "They are definitely working hard at that final stage, which is out on the grass, kicking balls and following some really strong drills.
"They shouldn't be too far. Hopefully soon I'll be sitting here saying they are back in training."
An extensive injury list has had an impact on Forest's January transfer plans. Dean Henderson (thigh), Taiwo Awoniyi (groin), Cheikhou Kouyate (hamstring) and Giulian Biancone (ACL) remain sidelined, while Ryan Yates, Jack Colback and Chris Wood are currently struggling with illness.
The Reds have also been hit by the news Morgan Gibbs-White is expected to be out "for a little while" after injuring his ankle against United at the City Ground. However, Cooper is reluctant to put a potential timeline on the attacker's recovery.
"Estimates and reality can be two different things," the Welshman said. "He's certainly nowhere near playing at the moment.
"I remember when Morgan got injured against Valencia, we thought he was going to be out for a lot longer than he ended up being, so some guys can recover quicker than others. It's difficult to give you an estimate, and if it was, that's all it would be.
"All we know is he won't be playing against United, and he won't be available in the short-term. But let's focus on the guys who are."
How should Forest line up against United? Have your say in the comments below
READ NEXT
