New opportunity for forgotten Nottingham Forest defender as Joao Carvalho praises Steve Cooper

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Former Nottingham Forest midfielder Joao Carvalho says he is so confident the Reds will win promotion to the Premier League that he would "bet" on them if he could.

Carvalho left Forest in January 2022 in favour of a move to Greece with Olympiacos, but the 25-year-old has seemingly been keep up-to-date with the Reds ' fortunes in the Championship this season The midfielder exited the City Ground during the winter transfer window having had limited opportunities to draw supporters from their seats on the banks of the River Trent.

He made just one first-team appearance for Forest during the 2020/21 season before joining Spanish side Almeria on a loan transfer. Now with Olympiacos, Carvalho was one of the players involved in a charity friendly organised with Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this month.

Speaking after the game, Carvalho revealed a secret pleasure at seeing Forest pushing for promotion and that he would even go as far as placing a bet on Steve Cooper's side to go up this year.

Defender Nicholas Ioannou is to be given a surprise Nottingham Forest lifeline ahead of the summer transfer window.

Ioannou, 26, has spent the past season out on loan at Italian side Como but will be given the opportunity to fight for a place in Steve Cooper's squad regardless of whether they are promoted or not to the Premier League, if he wants to stay. Forest find themselves within a contested race for the Championship play-offs. Cooper's side are fifth in the standings, seven points behind second-placed Bournemouth and four clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough.

The Reds also have two games in hand over several of their rivals