Nottingham Forest boss discusses Moussa Niakhate as injury update provided

Boss Steve Cooper was coy on whether defender Moussa Niakhate will be available for Nottingham Forest’s clash with Everton this weekend.

The summer signing was forced off with 10 minutes to go in the Reds’ win over West Ham United on Sunday. He was replaced by Steve Cook, who himself had been a doubt for the match because of injury.

Cooper gave little away when asked for an update ahead of the trip to Goodison Park. But he suggested the former Mainz man was still adapting to life in English football.

“We’ll see for the weekend,” the Welshman said of Niakhate. “It’s one of those sort of experience things where you come in, in a new country; he didn’t come in too late in pre-season, but there was a lot going on with moving, then we put him straight in a different training programme, then a different league. He was just feeling the effects of it, really.

“But we’ve got good options now, haven’t we. That’s why we need to add a few more (signings), just to make sure we’ve got the right cover and the right players challenging in every position.”

Asked whether it could be a short-term - rather than long-term - problem for the centre-back, Cooper added: “We’ll see.”

Meanwhile, there was positive news on midfielder Ryan Yates, who has been sidelined with a knee issue. And Cook has made progress after being called upon at the City Ground when “not 100 percent fit” due to an unspecified injury.

“Ryan Yates is back in training, which is positive,” Cooper said. “Steve Cook is back in full training. Jack Colback is still suffering with his illness.”