With the news that Sammy Ameobi is a doubt for Nottingham Forest’s crunch game with Wycombe Wanderers, Joe Lolley should have a shot to kickstart his season.
Lolley, who for the last two seasons has been a key man at Forest, has been woefully out of form this year and has lost his place in the side as a result.
The most telling factor came in the 2-1 win against Coventry City, as when Ameobi went down injured, it was Luke Freeman who emerged as his replacement in the second half rather than Lolley.
However, if Ameobi can’t play against Wycombe, it is most likely to be Lolley that gets the nod from Chris Hughton.
Given Forest’s predicament, Hughton has been understandably opting for experience and as Freeman doesn’t seem fit to start, it should be Lolley and Anthony Knockaert down the flanks with Alex Mighten on the bench.
Lolley has shown glimpses of his quality – two assists in his last two games – but these glimpses have been few and far between.
The stats tell their own story – in the league, Lolley has just one goal and one assist in 22 games, 13 of which have been starts.
Compare that to last season, where he got nine goals and eight assists and especially 2018/19, where Lolley got 11 goals and 11 assists and the drop in output seems even more colossal.
His injury problems have been documented – with Lolley suffering from muscle compartment syndrome – but Forest desperately need him back at his best.
How much his injury battles have hampered his form only Lolley will know, but he looks a shadow of the player Forest fans know he’s capable of being.
The signing of Filip Krovinovic should help get him on the ball in dangerous areas more frequently, but it’s up to Lolley now to prove he’s still a key man.
If he starts as expected against Wycombe this weekend, he might not get many better opportunities to showcase his talents.
Can Joe Lolley get back to his best?
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