Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner could be forced to make further changes to his defensive line when his side welcomes Coventry City this weekend, with several players dealing with fitness concerns.
Forest head into the Premier League fixture with renewed confidence after securing their first league victory of the season last weekend. However, the 2-1 triumph over Aston Villa came with a defensive cost, as Nikola Milenkovic and Jair Cunha were both ruled out shortly before the match.
Milenkovic is currently the clearest absentee. The experienced centre-back missed the victory at Villa Park after suffering a hamstring injury and is not expected to return until after the upcoming international break.
His absence represents a significant concern for Glasner, particularly because Forest have already had to make adjustments to their defensive structure early in the campaign. The Serbian has established himself as an important figure at the back, and his recovery will be closely monitored during the next few weeks.
Jair Cunha’s situation is slightly different. The Brazilian defender is also recovering from a hamstring problem and was unavailable for the trip to Villa. Unlike Milenkovic, however, there remains hope that Jair could recover in time to feature against Coventry.
Forest are expected to take a cautious approach with the defender. While his availability could provide Glasner with an important boost, the club will not want to risk aggravating the injury by rushing him back before he is fully ready.
The circumstances surrounding the two injuries also explain why Forest’s starting line-up against Villa changed so late.
Both Milenkovic and Jair had trained before the match and were initially thought to have a chance of being involved. However, scan results received late on Friday evening confirmed that neither player was fit enough to take part.
That left Glasner with limited time to reorganise his defence before kick-off. The Forest boss responded by making significant changes to his back three, including moving Ola Aina into a central defensive role.
Ousmane Diomande was also handed his first Premier League start, giving the youngster an opportunity to step into the spotlight in a difficult away fixture.
There was another fitness concern involving Murillo, who was struggling with a knee issue before the match. Despite the problem, the Brazilian defender assured the coaching staff that he was fit enough to play and ultimately completed the entire 90 minutes.
Forest’s ability to overcome those defensive problems made the victory at Villa Park particularly valuable. Despite losing two central defenders at short notice, Glasner’s team remained organised and produced an impressive response.
Liam Delap and Igor Jesus provided the goals that secured the three points, while the team’s overall resilience pleased Glasner. The victory also gave Forest a much-needed lift after a difficult start to their Premier League campaign.
Attention now turns to Coventry City, with Forest hoping to build on the momentum created by their victory in Birmingham.
The Sky Blues will arrive at the City Ground looking to make life difficult for Glasner’s side, but Forest will see the fixture as an opportunity to continue moving in the right direction.
The international break could also work in Forest’s favour from an injury perspective. Following Saturday’s meeting with Coventry, the Reds will not return to Premier League action until October 11, when they face Crystal Palace.
That extended period without a league fixture should give several players valuable time to recover.
Milenkovic, in particular, could benefit from the additional rehabilitation period and will have an opportunity to work towards a return without the pressure of an immediate Premier League fixture.
Nicolo Savona is another player progressing through the recovery process. The defender has not featured since January after undergoing knee surgery, but there has been encouraging news surrounding his rehabilitation.
Glasner recently indicated that Savona remains “on track” in his recovery, although Forest are continuing to manage his return carefully. The club does not want to put unnecessary pressure on the Italian and risk another setback.
Savona could return to grass training during or shortly after the international break, although his exact comeback timetable will depend on how his rehabilitation progresses.
For now, Glasner’s priority will be navigating the Coventry fixture while managing his available defensive options carefully. Forest demonstrated at Villa that they can cope with unexpected setbacks, but having key defenders available would provide an important boost as they look to establish greater consistency.
With the international break approaching, Saturday’s clash offers Forest another chance to build momentum before the squad gets a valuable opportunity to recover and regroup.
