SABRI HAS TO CHANGE SAMBA STYLE

NOTTINGHAM Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi is facing a selection headache as the in-form Reds target a first-ever win at Wigan. Forest have not tasted victory at the DW in seven attempts, but arrive on the back of a ten-game unbeaten run that, pre-weekend, had propelled them to second in the Championship table. However, an injury to influential midfielder Samba Sow means Lamouchi must tweak his tried and tested system - and decide who will fill the void. “Samba needs more time,” said the Frenchman. “It is his hamstring, so it will be a few weeks yet. We need to take care of him. He is an important player and we don’t want to take a risk. It is disappointing, but it gives an opportunity for someone else, like John Bostock, like Tiago Silva, like Ryan Yates, to play in this position. They are all good options.” A regular under Martin O’Neill after impressing on loan at Notts County and Scunthorpe, Yates was forced to undergo knee surgery in the summer. But after training freely for much of the last fortnight, the 21-year-old is now ready for action. “He is back with us,” confirmed Lamouchi. “He looks good, and he will help us, of course. He is powerful and fresh, but we need to be careful with his knee problem.” And that caution is likely to hand an opportunity to Bostock, who joined on loan from Toulouse in the summer but hasn’t featured in a Championship match since August. “He can help us because he has a fantastic, amazing left foot,” Lamouchi said. “He just needs to play more simple and trust in himself because he can help the team.”