It could have been a turning point in Nottingham Forest’s season when striker Lewis Grabban limped off the pitch at Cardiff City.
As the Reds’ top scorer, he had come to the team’s rescue with some important goals as they climbed the Championship table. Grabban had bagged 13 in 29 appearances before injury stopped him in his tracks. Losing him was a blow, both as Forest’s talisman and as club captain.
The form of Keinan Davis and the arrival of Sam Surridge, on transfer deadline day, have seen the Reds cope brilliantly in Grabban’s absence. But it will still be a huge boost to get the front man back for the run-in - with the hope he will return soon after the international break.
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He will have a significant part to play as the final placings are decided. And it would be a wise move on Forest’s part to ensure he stays beyond that.
The forward’s contract runs out at the end of the season. He has expressed a desire to extend his stay at the City Ground, but so far, there has been no word over the possibility of a new deal. "We're not thinking about that at the moment. And I'm not sure he is, either,” boss Steve Cooper said in January.
Offering Grabban fresh terms at some point soon would be a sensible move, though, even if the focus at the moment is very much on securing a top-six finish. Not a bumper contract, but perhaps another year, maybe with the option for another beyond that.
Goalscorers are hard to come by. Others have chipped in while the skipper has been out, but there can be no questioning the importance of his contribution this season.
That he has worked with Davis on his instinct in the box - to good effect, as demonstrated against Reading - shows the 34-year-old has continued to have an influence while being sidelined. His impact on the pitch in the final few weeks of the campaign could be even more telling.
Whatever division the Reds find themselves in next term, they will need goalscorers. Grabban has shown that he deserves to remain among those on the books.
