Realising Dean Henderson will be ineligible to play for Nottingham Forest in their Carabao Cup semi-final put “a dampener” on boss Steve Cooper’s evening.
The on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper was the Reds’ hero at the City Ground as they saw off Wolverhampton Wanderers to make the last four of the competition. He made three big saves during the game as it finished 1-1, and he followed that up by thwarting two penalties in the subsequent shootout, which the hosts won 4-3.
Forest have been paired with United in the two-legged semi-finals, meaning Henderson will only be able to feature if his parent club grant permission - which seems unlikely to happen. Speaking to the media only minutes after discovering his team’s opponents, Cooper expressed his frustration.
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“I have only just thought of that. It is frustrating - after seeing the night he has had,” said the Reds head coach. “He was excellent in the penalty shootout, but he was more than good in the game.
“You’ve got me on the spot there. I’ve only just thought about that. It’s unfortunate.
“He’s part of our group. He is so invested in the group and how we work, what we’re trying to accelerate, in terms of what we want to become - because it is acceleration, with a new group having been put together. And to do that, you need a really good goalkeeper.
“Not only is he committing as a goalkeeper, he is really buying into being in the city and the greater good of the club. It has put a dampener on it for me tonight.”
Just as Brice Samba had done against Sheffield United in the Championship play-offs last season, Henderson appeared to have notes written on a piece of paper stuck to his water bottle when the tie went to spot-kicks. He denied Ruben Neves and Joe Hodge, while Remo Freuler, Joe Worrall, Morgan Gibbs-White and Jack Colback scored for the Reds.
“We were prepared for penalties, both with Dean and the outfield players, and the strategy of how to go about it,” said Cooper. “We’re lucky that we have some people on our staff who have worked with England and the FA - I know how much work has been done on penalty shootout strategies there, and we’ve brought some of it with us.
“It doesn’t guarantee success, as we know. But at the same time, it does give you a chance, because of the data we look into and the percentages and stats we try to get the better of. But whether you are a goalkeeper or a taker, there is still that human element of committing to your technique, showing good conviction and a strong mentality, and maybe a bit of luck as well.
“We were planned, and stuck to the plan. You saw how quickly we were set-up within seconds of the game finishing; that clears the mind and gives players the opportunity to think about what they really want to go through.”
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