Boss Steve Cooper will hope valuable time on the training ground pays off when Nottingham Forest return to action next Monday.
The two-week international break has afforded the Reds head coach the chance to work with his players as they try to turn around a tricky start to the season. They will make the trip to Leicester City aiming to arrest a run of four defeats on the spin.
Forest have been hard at work ahead of that match. And with the club posting pictures and videos from training on the official website, social media accounts and YouTube, we’ve picked out some of the key takeaways.
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Injury boost
Striker Emmanuel Dennis pulled out of the Nigeria national squad last week, after being called up as a replacement for Adana Demirspor's Henry Onyekuru. But there is hope that he hasn’t suffered anything too serious.
Dennis was captured joining in with his teammates, in a positive sign ahead of the clash with the Foxes. Defender Omar Richards also appears to have taken a significant step in his recovery from a hairline fracture to the leg, being pictured out on the grass.
The Reds do, however, still have concerns over Morgan Gibbs-White and Scott McKenna, who also withdrew from international duty. Moussa Niakhate did make the bench for Senegal, but returned to the club early, while Orel Mangala had suffered a setback prior to the Fulham match, after being sidelined with a hamstring problem.
Team spirit
Squad unity was a key feature of Forest’s success last term. But while a new-look group may still be getting to know each other, the atmosphere behind the scenes seems to be good.
The club posted a clip of Jesse Lingard, Ryan Yates and Harry Toffolo celebrating a training ground victory. Lingard raised his arms to the camera and cheered: “What a win today, Whites! Come on! Me, Yates and Toff, you know what I mean? Winners.” The former Manchester United man then got a hug from midfielder Yates.
Plenty of serious work has been done this fortnight. But the mood appears to be a positive one, too, with smiles on show - including from Cooper.
Worrall’s instructions
Captain Joe Worrall has always been known for his leadership qualities. And they were clearly on display in Forest’s video footage.
The defender is captured directing his teammates and giving instructions. He is also without the face mask he was pictured in last week, having taken a blow to the face last time out.
Worrall will hope to have caught Cooper’s eye this fortnight and done enough to win his place back. He was left out of the starting XI against the Cottagers, but made a difference when he came on for the final 30 minutes.
Aiming to impress
Worrall wouldn’t be the only one fighting to stand out in training. Loic Bade was in the thick of the action and will have his eyes on earning a debut.
Lewis O’Brien and Jesse Lingard will also want to get back in the team. Both came on as substitutes against Fulham, with O’Brien, in particular, making an impact. The midfielder could consider himself unfortunate to have been left out of the side in the first place, and staked his claim to face Leicester by grabbing his first goal for the club.
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