Steve Cooper addresses the current situation of Nottingham Forest January addition

Jonathan Panzo is continuing to build himself up to full fitness following his January move to Nottingham Forest.

The 21-year-old arrived at The City Ground on Deadline Day from Dijon, with the former Chelsea academy graduate being reunited with Steve Cooper, his former England youth team coach. 

Panzo appeared for the Reds last week in a behind closed doors friendly against Norwich City, whilst he started for the club’s U23s against Reading on Monday night. 

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live about the continued progress and what the immediate future might look like for Panzo, Cooper said: “He’s doing good. We’re happy with him,” the Welshman said of Panzo, who signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Reds.

“He’s come in having not played a lot of minutes or had a lot of games, and even really a proper training programme.

“There’s no rush with him, that’s for sure.

“He played in that game last week against Norwich, which I think was really good for him. It allowed him to do some good things, do some indifferent things, which a few of them did.

“He is just needing to get a body of minutes into him, to be ready if called upon – the same as the other boys.

“His programme is slightly different at the moment because he’s definitely playing catch-up physically.

“It’s one of them where it’s just a bit of a settling-in period. We’re enjoying working with him.”

The verdict 

Panzo emerged as one of the more eye-catching Championship captures during the January transfer window, and whilst he might not play too big of a role within the first team this season, he is someone with a high ceiling. 

Coming through the ranks at Chelsea, and also progressing through various stages of England’s youth set up, Panzo certainly comes with