Jordi injury blow adds to transfer urgency for Reds
DEFENDER LOOKS SET TO BE ON SIDELINES FOR SEVERAL WEEKS
NOTTINGHAM Forest will be without defender Jordi Osei-tutu for several weeks, only adding to the sense of urgency around strengthening at full-back before the transfer window closes.
The Arsenal loanee was forced off with a hamstring injury in only his second appearance for the club, against Blackburn Rovers – a repeat of the problem which limited him to a handful of games while with Cardiff City last season.
A right-back by trade, Oseitutu had to fill in on the left for the Reds due to a shortage of options, with Gaetan Bong also brought back into the fold after being told he was free to move on earlier in the summer.
Forest have little more than a week to get the remainder of their transfer business done, with the deadline next Tuesday.
And before then they have two crucial games, against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup tonight (8pm), followed by the East Midlands derby against Derby County at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday.
Ahead of the second round tie at the City Ground, boss Chris Hughton still has a number of players sidelined.
“At this moment, there’s no change,” he said.
“All of those who were not available are still not available – the two Joes, Worrall (calf) and Lolley (illness), Loic Mbe Soh (groin), Nuno Da Costa (groin) and Jordi Osei-tutu.
“Jordi will be out for several weeks, that we do know. “It’s a big blow for us. “But our thoughts at the moment are about doing everything we can for him, getting him back in the best shape that we can.”
Just as against Bradford City in the previous round of the cup, Hughton plans to field a largely youthful XI.
Summer signing Ethan Horvath will start in goal again, while James Garner will also be involved as he looks to build up his fitness after signing on Sunday.
“The only thing which will be determined at the minute will be where he is with his fitness levels, because he wouldn’t have been
playing 90-minute games,” Hughton said of the Manchester United loanee. “He has had parts of games in pre-season.
“It might take a little while to get him up to full speed.
“He will be involved on Tuesday.” He added: “For where we are at the moment, as regards the squad and those who are not available or are injured, it will be a similar side (to the first round).
“There will be some young players and players who have been involved in the first-team games at the moment.
“We were delighted with what we saw in the last round. To go into a game against very good opposition, even though they are a few leagues below, we were really delighted.
“It will be a tougher task on Tuesday, there’s no doubt about that.
“Whatever changes Wolves make, we will be up against a very good side.
“I just hope we can give a good account of ourselves.”
Forest go into the tie amid a miserable start to the campaign which has seen them lose four Championship fixtures on the trot, leaving them bottom of the table and putting Hughton under pressure.
He insists dressing room morale hasn’t been affected but knows a win at the City Ground tonight would provide a much-needed lift around the club.
“The dynamics of the changing room are different, because there are more young players in there than before,” said Hughton.
“The signs that I’ve had in training and in terms of morale have been good.
“What I don’t want anybody to think is that everything is good here, because we haven’t got off to the start we would want.
“We want to win football matches. When we don’t, there is a disappointment within the team and within the club.
“It’s our responsibility to look at the facts how they are, take every game into consideration and try to draw from that as many positives as possible.
“I haven’t seen the morale low. “Everyone knows we have a big game on Tuesday and a very big game on Saturday.
“What I don’t mind admitting is that Saturday’s game is a very big game for us, as are all of the League games.
“It’s very difficult to talk that way without taking too much away from the Carabao Cup games.
“But for where we are, the league games have taken precedent.
“Any thoughts of changes, or even formation changes, what I have been tied down to is availability. If you have the numbers or players available, if you have your strongest numbers available, it does give you more options.
“In some ways, I’ve been tied down a little bit with regards where we are with numbers.
“But we all hope for that to change.”