On transfer deadline day, Nottingham Forest promptly signed James Ward-Prowse from West Ham on a season-long loan to replace the injured Danilo.
The Reds were shaken on the opening day when the Brazilian player collapsed on the pitch after injuring his ankle against Bournemouth.
Danilo has undergone surgery and should be back with Forest before the end of the year.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo decided to bring Ward-Prowse to the squad, and he has years of Premier League experience.
The 29-year-old was unable to play in the home game against Wolves, which occurred hours after the transfer window closed, but he has since been involved.
Ward-Prowse made his debut against Liverpool, which Forest won 1-0, and began the game against Brighton on Sunday.
However, he was hooked at halftime against Brighton and only touched the ball 20 times, posing a conundrum for Forest head coach Espirito Santo.
Nottingham Forest have to do more to get the best out of Ward-Prowse
It would be unfair to call Ward-Prowse the football equivalent of a quarterback – someone who only appears on the field for a specific practice, in the case of the Forest midfielder, set-pieces.
Kevin Nolan has lauded Ward-Prowse’s passing abilities, calling him ‘outstanding’, and he will provide much more than simply free kicks and corners.
However, it is no secret that he is dynamite in deadball situations, and Forest needs to start doing a little more to assist him out.
His ability from set-pieces was demonstrated when he held the ball in his hand while VAR checked the penalty, but when it was confirmed, he passed it to Chris Wood to take the kick.
On Sunday, he was replaced at halftime, and despite the fact that he hadn’t done much (13 of his 20 passes were completed), it’s no surprise that he was hooked.
Ward-Prowse was unable to demonstrate his talent from set-piece situations because Forest failed to win a single corner or free kick in the final third, according to Who Scored.
Brighton are a tough nut to crack, and perhaps their gameplan prevented Forest from creating these scenarios, but it’s something Espirito Santo should consider.
Ward-Prowse can star for Forest this season
When the midfielder signed for Forest, he was taken aback by the club’s history as he went around City Ground.
He pushed for the transfer to Forest amid interest from other Premier League clubs, which bodes well.
Ward-Prowse is only a handful of free kicks away from breaking David Beckham’s Premier League record, which he will look to do this season.
Forest must be astute with Ward-Prowse in their ranks. Last season, he scored seven goals and had 11 assists, and the more set pieces that can be made, the better.
The club pulled off a major coup by signing the 11-time England international, and it is now up to Espirito Santo to ensure he gets the most out of him.
