Nottingham Forest will travel to Molineux on Saturday afternoon for their Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and now Steve Cooper has revealed an update on one of his injured player's condition.
What's the latest?
The Forest boss took to his pre-match press conference to reveal an update on Moussa Niakhate's recovery after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 1-0 victory over West Ham United in August.
When asked about the defender's potential to return to action, Cooper told the media:
“No, he is not close. He is still very much in his rehab. He is nowhere near consideration, really,
"He is very much with the medical team and going through the process with them.”
It's another worry for Nottingham Forest
The news that Niakhate is nowhere near returning to action is just another worry for Nottingham Forest as they endeavour to improve their current form in the Premier League.
The Tricky Trees haven't won a game since they beat the Hammers and it has been their only victory tallied up over the season so far and have the second-worst defensive record in the league at the moment whilst occupying a spot in the relegation zone.
In the two appearances that Niakhate was available for the talented centre-back showed glimpses of the defensive qualities he can bring to the team, making nine clearances and winning six duels per game, as well as completing 82% of his passes in his own half.
There is no doubt that Cooper will be searching for solutions to give Forest a better chance of retaining their top-flight status and luckily for the Welsh manager, there are still 29 opportunities to do so.
Wolves have only scored three goals over their first nine league outings and just like the newly-promoted side have only picked up one win over the season so far, as well as losing their last three games on the bounce.
With that being said, it could be a great opportunity for Cooper to capitalise on their opponent's poor form this weekend and secure all three points following a promising draw against Aston Villa on Monday night.