Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper has provided a fitness update on Brennan Johnson. The 43-year-old has been quizzed on the fitness of his star player ahead of Friday’s game against Newcastle.
Forest can ill-afford any more injuries. They have several players currently queuing outside of the treatment room and the situation is becoming a little bit perilous for the Reds.
Now, Johnson has added to the team’s woes. He hobbled out of Saturday’s game against Tottenham and Cooper confirmed afterwards that he would be going for a scan on his injury.
The 21-year-old is very much integral to Forest and their hopes of securing a place in the Premier League again next season. After Friday, there is an international break and Cooper has suggested he could miss out.
He told the club’s official website: “He had his scan. It’s unlikely that he will be involved at the weekend but he has a small chance.
“We’re not completely ruling him out, but when you walk off with a muscle injury it can take a bit longer than a week to recover.”
Johnson has been like a different player since the World Cup. He was somewhat out of form before the competition but he’s returned with a serious point to prove.
Cooper has provided a fitness update on Johnson
This isn’t good news. It may sound as though Johnson will only miss one game but in their current situation that is just too many from a Forest perspective.
The Reds are without a win in five games in the Premier League. Not since a 1-0 win against Leeds have the Reds taken maximum points from a game and the situation is bleak.
Johnson is the one player who looks capable of sticking the ball in the net right now. In his absence, it’s not clear who can step up and take that mantle and it’s a worrying time for Forest.
This does seem a sensible call though. Forest have big games after the international break too and they can ill afford to risk Johnson if he’s not quite ready for action.