Nottingham Forest defender Omar Richards is “on course” in his recovery from a hairline fracture of the leg.
The summer signing is yet to make his debut for the Reds after making a summer move from Bayern Munich, having been sidelined since pre-season. He is still several weeks away from a potential return, but boss Steve Cooper says he is making good progress in his rehabilitation.
Forest are also without centre-back Moussa Niakhate for the long-term, while midfielder Jack Colback has recently been absent due to illness. Ryan Yates made his return from a knee problem in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Everton, however, and could be in contention to get more minutes under his belt in Tuesday night’s League Cup tie at Grimsby Town.
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Cooper is likely to make changes to his starting line-up at Blundell Park as the Reds prepare for a tough week in the league. After the clash with the Mariners, the Reds host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, followed by a trip to Manchester City next Wednesday and a home game with Bournemouth on the Saturday.
“Omar is on course. He’s probably still a month away, but he’s making good progress and we’re happy with how he’s doing,” Cooper said.
“Obviously we know about Moussa Niakhate and the disappointment that he’s going to be out for a fair few months. We have a couple of kicks from the weekend, but we’ve got a squad going to Grimsby that we feel can do well.
“We approach the game with the mentality to win. We want a winning culture here. To do that, I don’t think it’s something you can turn on and off; it’s something you have to try to live and breathe every single day.
“It’s a game we’re taking seriously. I think we have to be mindful that the following week we have three games in a week and not too many days in between each game. Having a strong squad, not just a strong team, is probably more the case now than ever, with the five changes you can make in a game.
“We have to think about what team we put out tomorrow, with what’s coming the following week. But it’s a game we’re looking forward to, and we want the mentality to be right.”
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