The international break is almost over as Nottingham Forest return to action this weekend, ready for the final sprint in their promotion push.
Steve Cooper’s side make the trip to Blackpool for a lunchtime kick-off. And the Reds boss will once again have some selection decisions to make for the clash at Bloomfield Road.
A late call will be made over Ethan Horvath’s availability, as the goalkeeper and teammate Richie Laryea face a quick turnaround after a late return from international duty with USA and Canada respectively. The duo were the last of those who had gone away with their countries to link back up with the Forest squad.
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Cooper said: “We need to see them first. They’ll have the normal assessments, like all the international boys do when they come back. We’ll make that judgement call as and when we can.”
Horvath has made the starting spot his own in recent weeks, having taken his opportunity to impress when he got the chance. Brice Samba would be ready to step back in if required against the Seasiders, however.
The Reds are still without defenders Steve Cook, Scott McKenna and Max Lowe. And Cooper must weigh up whether to stick with a four-man back line, as he did last time out in the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool, or go with three at the back.
Tobias Figueiredo is almost certain to keep his place, having done well in the last two games while Cook and McKenna have been out. Ryan Yates has dropped into a three-man defence before, should the head coach go down that route - but that would mean losing his presence in midfield, particularly as Jack Colback is likely to take up the left-back spot in the absence of Lowe.
Forest do have Loic Mbe Soh and Jonathan Panzo as defensive options. But the duo have struggled for game time, with the latter yet to make his debut since his January move.
Depending what formation he plumps for, Cooper could also face a dilemma further up the pitch. Joe Lolley looked more like his old self against Jurgen Klopp’s men in only his third appearance of 2022. A change in system might mean one of the attacking players having to miss out, though.
Meanwhile, Lewis Grabban returned to training this week, after being sidelined since January with an ankle injury. This weekend’s game may come too soon for him, however, which would leave Keinan Davis and Sam Surridge battling for the striker spot.
Predicted Forest XI: Horvath; Spence, Figueiredo, Worrall, Colback; Garner, Yates; Johnson, Zinckernagel, Lolley; Davis.
