Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper has been discussing Felipe after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Everton.
The Reds player was introduced at half-time for his first outing of the 2023/24 campaign.
His return ended months of hell with a knee problem and he will now hope to help the team moving forward.
Felipe was signed by Forest from Atletico Madrid in January for a small £1.8 million transfer fee.
Cooper happy with Felipe after return to action
This was a timely return for the Brazilian and he replaced the injured Willy Boly on Saturday.
Although Felipe was cautioned during the contest, it was nice to see him back in a Forest shirt.
The 34-year-old stepped up his recovery from his latest injury problem with a 45-minute cameo.
Cooper was impressed and told Nottinghamshire Live: “It was definitely a positive. Sometimes when a player has been out injured, when they’re a centre-back it can be difficult to give them game time because it’s not a natural change.
“Felipe getting the minutes was good. He has the experience and the level and the talent. Everyone has seen that with how important he was for us last season.
“Nothing counts like match minutes, whether you are a younger player or an inexperienced player like Felipe. For him to get those important minutes in a demanding game will be good for him.”
Forest need Felipe to stay fit
The central defender was a brilliant player during the second half of last season and he proved to be a Rolls Royce of a defender.
His experience could be crucial for the Reds and he will hope to feature at Fulham and Wolves this week.
Felipe is now 34-years-old and it goes without saying that Forest can’t plan their future around him.
However, in the short term, Forest can benefit from having the defender fit and hopefully, he can get plenty of football.
Felipe is a leader within the Forest dressing room and given the current poor run of form, he could prove to be a quality player.
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