Morgan Gibbs-White has been added to Nottingham Forest’s injury list ahead of the visit of Malmo in the Europa League on Thursday.
The influential midfielder has picked up what manager Sean Dyche described as a minor injury, ahead of the game against the club Forest beat in the final of the European Cup in 1979.
Forest will be hoping to build on their 3-0 success at Liverpool in the Premier League, when they return to European action at the City Ground. But they will be without the man who scored the third goal at Anfield — taking his personal tally to four goals in six appearances under Dyche.
“We’re just settling an issue down with him. We’re hopeful it is nothing too serious but he will miss this one,” said Dyche, who has to prepare his side for a flurry of games in the coming days, with Brighton & Hove Albion visiting in the Premier League on Sunday, before a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers next Wednesday.
“We’re hopeful it will settle down pretty quickly but we are waiting on further news. So far, it is nothing too serious, so far.”
Chris Wood (knee), Dilane Bakwa (groin), Ola Aina (hamstring), Douglas Luiz (hamstring), Oleksandr Zinchenko (groin) and Angus Gunn (knee) are all still missing, while Taiwo Awoniyi continues to do fitness work on the training ground.
“Ola is not on the grass with us yet. He is still going to take a bit of time,” said Dyche. “Dilane Bakwa is getting fit. We are still missing a few, without a doubt. It will be helpful if we can get those guys fit sooner rather than later.
“It is a good test, though. You want players who are going to step in. They are all desperate to play so it is a great opportunity for players who haven’t necessarily been starting – certainly under myself and maybe even before. It is a good opportunity for them.
“We want the players here to grow into themselves; not worry about replacing others. We want them to take it on and take the shirt on.”
James McAtee is the most obvious potential option to replace Gibbs-White against Malmo, although Omari Hutchinson — who would have provided another useful attacking option — will remain unavailable tomorrow as he is not part of the Europa League squad.
