The return of the Premier League season is fast approaching for Nottingham Forest.
There is less than a fortnight to go before the competitive action resumes, with a trip to Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup first up for the Reds, followed by a visit to Manchester United in the league after Christmas. In the meantime, Steve Cooper's squad are currently on a training camp in Greece and will face fellow Evangelos Marinakis-owned side Olympiacos in their third winter break friendly on Saturday.
It meant there was plenty to talk about in our weekly live Q&A with Forest reporter Sarah Clapson. Here's how it panned out.
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Q: Have we been linked with any strong CBs? Surely they should be a priority for the Jan window.
A: Definitely seems to have been quieter on the rumour mill when it comes to defensive links, especially when compared to attacking players. Not too many names out there in the open, but plenty of work going on behind the scenes - which is just how Forest will like it.
Michael Keane and Jamaal Lascelles are two whose names have cropped up, but I'd be surprised if either of those were goers. German media have suggested Jamil Siebert is on Forest's radar. He's only 20 and is currently on loan at Viktoria Koln from Fortuna Dusseldorf. He's got a lot of potential, but not exactly someone who'd likely come straight into a team fighting to stay in the Premier League.
Cooper has been keeping his cards very close to his chest on how the transfer window might pan out. But expecting defensive reinforcements to be an area Forest look at. Loic Bade hasn't been able to force his way into the manager's thinking, Giulian Biancone is out for the rest of the season and while the club are hopeful Moussa Niakhate will soon be back involved, there has still got to be a degree of caution over his injury, given how long he has been out for and the set-backs he's had.
If he can get back to being 100 percent, having Niakhate back would be a huge boost. He looked really promising early on - solid while also being good on the ball. Think being able to be progressive from the back is an area Forest can definitely improve on. Before the break, they had tightened up, but could do with being a bit more comfortable in possession and getting things going from defence. Bringing in someone who is at ease on the ball would be useful.
January is certainly going to be interesting. A lot riding on it, too. Get the right (few) additions in, and it could make all the difference.
Q: How hard will Forest go in the transfer window? Are the club planning a big push to help stay up or do you think they will see that as too risky and try to get the best out of what they have?
A: Forest are well aware they face a tough balancing act next month. Cooper has been very open in discussing the challenges which came with such a busy summer. Having just started to make forward strides before the World Cup break, he won't want that good work to be undone by another overhaul and having to integrate another big group of new players. But at the same time, a few key signings could be crucial in the fight for survival.
Evangelos Marinakis is incredibly ambitious. He won't be happy with seeing Forest at the bottom end of the table, and he'll make funds available to try to get them out of there. Important that money is spent wisely, though.
January isn't going to be anywhere near as busy as the summer. Gustavo Scarpa has already set the ball rolling, but don't think there will be too many more additions beyond that.
There's already a decent squad in place. It was always going to take time for the players to gel and for Cooper to start to get the best out of them. Recent games have shown the progress they have made; the likes of Jesse Lingard, Morgan Gibbs-White and Remo Freuler have started to show what they are all about.
It's a group which doesn't need too much adding to it. Expect up front and at the back to be areas Forest look at - with the injury situation likely to influence what they do.
Just hope that come the end of the window, if the table still doesn't look particularly healthy, there isn't a last-minute spot of panic buying. January can do funny things to clubs when there's a lot riding on the window; but that would be the last thing Forest need.
Q: Where does Scarpa fit in when Lingard and MGW are probably the two players you most look at as key to the second half of the season?
A: It's a tough one with Scarpa. Cooper already had a headache over trying to pick his best attacking line-up - although think what works at home is likely to change for away games.
Think it's likely it will take time for Scarpa to bed in. Cooper has never been one to rush a player into action. Particularly when signings have come from abroad and are new to English football, he's tended to blood them in gently rather than throw them in at the deep end. Would be surprised if it's any different with Scarpa.
He seems to have made a positive first impression in the behind closed doors friendly the other day, but he still faces a fight to get into the team. Lingard and Gibbs-White had found some form before the World Cup break, so they are the two in pole position for a starting spot at the minute.
Even if he keeps catching the eye in training and the remaining friendlies, I'd still expect Scarpa to be on the bench initially when his contract officially starts in January. But that doesn't mean he can't come on and make an impact.
He's an exciting talent. Difficult to really judge how he'll do based on YouTube clips and his stats from the Brazilian league, but he's certainly got potential.
Fitting Lingard, Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson into the same team was already tough. Adding Scarpa to the mix offers another option. It's a good problem for Cooper to have, though. Much better for him to be in that position, scratching his head over who to play, than be short of options.
Looking forward to seeing how Scarpa gets on. If he can live up to expectation, Forest could have a gem on their hands.
Q: Any chance at all of any surprise / shock returns of any Forest old boys, such as Spence in the January Window?
A: January always throws up a few surprises! You can never say never!
As much as I love Spence, though, personally, I'm not sure trying to get him back in January would be the right move. Aurier had been brilliant at right-back in the last few games before the break. Know Spence is a different type of player, but would he get in ahead of Aurier at the minute - particularly with the emphasis on trying to stay tight defensively? I'm not so sure.
Also got Neco Williams who can play there - although he's looked comfortable having been switched to the left. If Spence does go out on loan in January, he'll want to play. Just not sure he'd be guaranteed of getting that week in, week out at Forest this season to the extent he did last term.
Would love him to come back to Forest at some point, though. He was an absolute treat to watch last season and a pleasure to deal with from a media perspective.
Really hope he starts playing more soon, whether it be at Spurs or on loan. He's got so much talent, it's a real shame to see him not getting his chance. A really good guy, too.
What transfer business should Forest do in January? Have your say in the comments below
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