Chris Hughton makes claim about Nottingham Forest player Fouad Bachirou

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Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton has told Nottinghamshire Live that Fouad Bachirou would be allowed to leave this month.

The midfielder signed from Malmo in the summer for a fee in the region of £600,000.

Bachirou’s only Forest outing came in the 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat at Barnsley.

Since then he has been nursing an injury and although he is now over that, Hughton hasn’t yet used him.

As a result, it would seem the manager is now willing to offload the 30-year-old, should the opportunity to do so arise.

Hughton was quizzed on the situation regarding the midfielder ahead of tonight’s clash with Middlesbrough.

He told Nottinghamshire Live: “He is one of the players where, before January, we thought it might be better served for him to go elsewhere – perhaps a loan spell.

“Fouad has a lot of competition around him, particularly when Jack (Colback) is back fit and Harry (Arter) is back fit.

“It would probably be in his interest – and probably the club’s interest – if there was an opportunity for him to go out on loan and play.”

Should Bachirou have a future at the City Ground?

Plenty of supporters have used Hughton’s comments to batter the club’s recruitment once again – although that seems a little unfair.

Former boss Sabri Lamouchi was adamant that Bachirou was a player he had courted and one which he wanted to bring to the club.

What the signing of the 30-year-old does do is provide an indication of how the constant managerial changes are crippling the chances of a settled squad.

When new managers arrive they want new different players and ones added previously can fall down the pecking order.

Bachirou played 96 times for Malmo and featured in the Europa League for them.

That should offer a clear indication that he can play but his inability to stay fit has robbed him the chance of making an impression.

Forest do need to streamline the squad and having been rarely-seen at the club, a departure wouldn’t be the worst thing for all parties.

Bachirou will go down as a bizarre addition but it provides real insight as to why the Reds need to stick with a manager for a prolonged period of time.