Nottingham Forest return to Premier League action this weekend, travelling to Anfield to play Liverpool, but Nuno Espirito Santo’s team has suffered an injury blow ahead of the clash.
The Reds have had a good start to the new season, being unbeaten in their first three league games, but a trip to Liverpool will be a tough test for the team.
Nottingham Forest news
Forest signed 11 new players this summer, as Espirito Santo and the board sought to assemble a side capable of avoiding another relegation struggle and pushing for a mid-table finish.
The transfer window has been closed until January, but the club’s biggest business may still be ahead of it. According to reports, Forest hopes to make headway in contract negotiations with Morgan Gibbs-White this season. The Premier League team is hoping to sign the midfielder to a new contract that will put him at the top of the club’s pay structure, after Newcastle United and Aston Villa made “tentative” inquiries in the summer.
Nottingham Forest are hoping to sign Gibbs-White to a new deal while also keeping an eye on Ayr United’s Dylan Watret. They were thought to be among the Premier League clubs observing the right-back’s recent Scottish Challenge Cup match against Raith Rovers.
Forest were joined by Arsenal from the Premier League to observe Watret, as well as representatives from Scottish Premiership clubs. However, the emphasis now shifts to the upcoming league encounter, and Forest has suffered an injury blow.
Nottingham Forest player suffers injury on international duty
According to Sport Witness, Cote d’Ivoire manager Emerse Fae confirmed ahead of their African Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad that Nottingham Forest defender Willy Boly would miss the match due to injury.
Boly, characterized as a “unit” by former colleague Pacal Estrada, has 23 caps for the Ivory Coast and was called up to serve his country once again during this international break. The £40,000-a-week defender did not play in the country’s game against Zambia because he was left out of the team, and according to this source, tests were conducted and Boly sustained a calf injury during training.
Fae told reporters ahead of Ivory Coast’s game: “Regarding the absence of Willy Boly, I will simply explain to you: he was unfortunately injured in training just before our match against Chad.
“Examinations revealed a calf injury, and he is therefore unavailable. He returned to the club to recover.”
The length of the defender’s absence remains unknown, as the 33-year-old has appeared in two of the club’s first three league games, starting against Bournemouth and then coming on for the final minute against Southampton before failing to appear against his former club Wolverhampton Wanderers.