‘So important’… Nuno really wants to play £32.5m Nottingham Forest duo together

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Nottingham Forest manager Nuno has said that he wants to play strikers Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi together.

Nuno has also noted the importance of players being flexible in their positions.

So, what has Nuno said about Nottingham Forest duo Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi? Let’s take a look.

Nuno comments on Nottingham Forest duo Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi

Well, Nottingham Forest will take on Newcastle United at the City Ground in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

Forest will be without Chris Wood. The striker is injured and will be on the sidelines for up to eight weeks.

Taiwo Awoniyi, though, is available. The striker scored the winning spot kick in the FA Cup win against Bristol City in midweek.

Forest manager Nuno has lamented that he cannot play Wood and Awoniyi together.

Nuno told Sky Sports: “We have not had the chance to have the two strikers available. To use them both during a match would be so important to us. At the same time, let us see if we can make versatile players because this is important also. 

“Players need to be able to play more than one position on the pitch because this gives us the option during a game to not change a player but just change their position.

“For example, Morgan [Gibbs-White], in the previous game, started as an offensive player but then we were able to drop him in as a second midfielder because we wanted to introduce another offensive option. This is what we are trying to see and to build.”

My View: Exciting for next season

That Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno wants to play Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi together is very exciting for the City Ground faithful.

This suggests that Nuno wants to play attacking football and facilitate his teams in scoring goals.

The Forest manager has a reputation for playing conservative football at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.

I think that playing Wood and Awoniyi together will be exciting for the fans. It will also make the opposition defence worried. Even if Wood leaves at the end of the season, it seems that Nuno could use another striker and play him alongside Awoniyi.

Awoniyi is under contract at Forest until the summer of 2027. He has been on the books of the Reds since the summer of 2022 when he joined from Union Berlin for £17.5 million (Sky Sports).

The 26-year-old Nigeria international striker has scored 15 goals and given three assists in 39 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career.

Wood cost Forest £15 million (The Athletic) in transfer fees when they signed him from Newcastle on a permanent deal after a loan spell.

The 32-year-old New Zealand international striker has scored 63 goals and given eight assists in 216 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career. Wood is under contract at Forest until the summer of 2024.