It’s getting to that stage of the season where fingernails are being bitten and nerves are being shredded.
Nottingham Forest have 12 games to go as they battle to retain their Premier League status. And that starts with a big one against Newcastle United at the City Ground on Friday night.
The Reds will be eager to make it a perfect 10 unbeaten in the league at home in their final outing before the international break. Ahead of that match, here’s our round-up of the latest goings-on Trentside.
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Niakhate insight
It has been a long road to recovery for Moussa Niakhate. Fans are eager to see him back in action after getting only a brief look at what he had to offer before he suffered the hamstring injury which has ruled him out since August.
The centre-back was in the match squad against Tottenham Hotspur last week, though, as an unused substitute. And he has provided a unique insight into the last few months with a video on his YouTube channel.
It shows the rehabilitation process, both in Bologna and back at Forest. And while Niakhate hasn’t had too much time with his teammates, the spirit among the group is clear to see.
He and fellow summer signing Giulian Biancone, whose season was ended early by an ACL injury, are seen watching the Reds’ victory at Southampton together in a hotel room in Italy.
“Fortunately, I wasn’t on my own. I was with my guy. Giulian, my teammate, who also suffered from a big injury,” Niakhate says. “We were far from Nottingham, but we kept on supporting our teammates.”
Then, when the 27-year-old is back at the Nigel Doughty Academy, he shares a clip of gym work with Jesse Lingard, followed by some light-hearted banter between Serge Aurier, Andre Ayew and Keylor Navas.
“I know that my return is close, and I am eager to give back the trust the club gave me last summer,” Niakhate says.
“It’s a new situation for me, who is used to playing complete seasons since my career started. My first objective would be to stay in shape until the end of the season. And the second one would be to bring my abilities to this talented team which has already done an amazing season so far.”
After clips of last Saturday’s defeat in north London, he adds: “Unfortunately, it wasn’t the expected result for my return into the team. But the season is not over yet, there are still a few games left, and all together we’ll reach our objective.
“Regarding myself, after complicated months in which I learned a lot about myself, I can say that I am glad to be back. The next game, Friday night, at home, against Newcastle, might be the day of my return on the field.”
Looking at the table
It is incredibly tight at the bottom end of the Premier League, with five points separating nine clubs. The gap between Forest and the relegation places was cut to two points last weekend, with Steve Cooper’s side not picking up a result and others not going their way - although midweek losses for Crystal Palace and Southampton will have been well received by those of a Reds persuasion.
Cooper, who has tapped into the insight of former Magpies Jonjo Shelvey and Chris Wood ahead of Friday, insists the situation hasn’t changed for his side, however. Even when on a good run of form, he was aware it was going to be a fight until the end.
“I know last weekend some teams won and we didn’t, but the situation hasn’t changed for us,” he said. “We’re in a situation now that we’ve been in since the start of the season. It just gets a bit more interesting now because there’s not a load of games left and there’s a bit more scrutiny on each game - but that’s the same for every team. After a good result and after a poor result, we’ve tried to stick to the plan and stick to our beliefs, and always look forward while learning along the way.”
England ambitions
There was plenty of interest among Reds fans in Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad selection. No Morgan Gibbs-White on the list this time, though.
Still, surely a call-up can’t be too far away. It is a big ambition for the club record signing, and he is going the right way about earning one, doing all he can to put himself on Southgate’s radar.
Cooper speaks to Southgate regularly. However, he was giving no clues as to whether he had any inside knowledge on the team selection when he was quizzed on Wednesday.
“I know it’s an ambition for him, having been in the system with him along the way, and if that is a motivation he knows to do that he has to keep going and improving at club level at Nottingham Forest,” he said of Gibbs-White bidding to make the Three Lions team. “That’s his controllable and focus and if he does that he’s high potential and who knows.”
Cup fever
Silverware could be in reach for the Under-21s. They are tantalisingly close, having progressed to the semi-finals of the Premier League Cup.
Ryan Yates played his part in getting them there, playing 60 minutes in the quarter-final against Bristol City on Monday as he builds up his fitness following illness. The midfielder had departed by the time the tie went to penalties after extra-time, but Forest came through, 6-5 on spot-kicks.
There continues to be a lot of potential among the youth ranks at the club. Oliver Hammond, Julian Larsson and Esapa Osong were in the side to see off the Robins and are highly regarded, while Niakhate picked out Ateef Konate, who is on loan at Oxford United, as one to watch on the aforementioned YouTube video.
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