Steve Cooper reacts to Nottingham Forest player’s comeback at Blackpool

A massive 4-1 win away at Blackpool yesterday has seen Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest side move to seventh in the Championship table, just a point away from the play-offs.

One of the high points of the afternoon was the inclusion of Scott McKenna in the match day squad who played for the first time since he picked up a hamstring injury last month.

Initially, the injury was going to see the player ruled out for four to five weeks but it’s taken him just over a fortnight to recover.

McKenna produced an excellent performance at Bloomfield Road, something he topped off with the assist for Sam Surridge to score Forest’s fourth goal in the rout.

Forest boss Steve Cooper has credited the player for his swift return as he told Nottinghamshire Live: “He really committed to his recovery during the international break. I guess with us not having any games, there was full attention on seeing what we could do in terms of improvement to his injury.

“He has been really committed to it. He hasn’t had any time off.

“Earlier in the week the doctor said he was making good progress, we’ll see how it goes. Scott being Scott, he really wanted to play. Fortunately he was fit, and he played well.

“He got an assist, but the more pleasing thing for me was he jumped off his line and won it in what we call the fight zone. If you can get an assist after it, then great.

“Everyone knows how well Scott has done for us this year. He’s got to make sure he keeps his head down, keeps improving and keeps playing well.”

Forest will look to further boost their play-off chances on Wednesday night, when they host Coventry at The City Ground.

The Verdict:

McKenna’s speedy recovery really is a credit to the player and it shows his commitment to helping his side