All the early Nottingham Forest team news ahead of Luton clash on Friday

The Easter weekend could prove a pivotal point in the Championship season with two games in four days meaning that six points are available.

In terms of momentum, no side is better equipped to make the most of that than Nottingham Forest, who have won five in a row in the Championship and seven of their last nine in all competitions.

The Reds are flying right now and hold aspirations of not just reaching the play-offs but potentially catching Bournemouth in the race for the second automatic promotion place.

They cannot afford any slip-ups if they want to do the latter and their games against fellow play-off hopefuls Luton Town and unpredictable West Bromwich Albion could prove testing.

Squad depth and fitness will likely be important for the Reds as they try to pick up two wins in four days over the weekend but it looks as though they’re set to be without two defenders for the Luton and Albion games.

January signing Steve Cook has been absent since mid-March with an ankle injury, which it was thought would keep him out for six weeks.

Last week, Cooper told Nottinghamshire Live that the centre-back had not yet returned to training, which suggests he will not be ready for the Easter Weekend.

Sheffield United loanee Max Lowe suffered a groin injury in the same game that Cook was forced off, a 4-0 win against Reading.

It was originally suggested that would keep him out for six weeks as well but Cooper revealed ahead of the Birmingham City clash on Saturday that he was behind Cook in his recovery.

While Scott McKenna returned ahead of schedule earlier this month, it seems fans will have to be patient when it comes to two of his defensive colleagues.

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