Injury news has dominated at the City Ground with both Andy Reid and Jack Hobbs confimed as being out of action for the foreseeable future.
A scan has revealed that Reid’s groin injury, sustained against Derby in September, is worse than feared and he may be sidelined until early next year while Hobbs is unavailable until Christmas with the defender suffering from an ankle injury that he picked up in the same game.
The Reds return to action after the international break with an away trip to face a Cardiff City side who will have a new manager in the dugout after Russell Slade’s appointment was finally confirmed.
He has been imposing double training sessions on the squad he inherited from Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and said this week: “For one reason or another we do feel there are a few which need to get up to speed when it comes to fitness.”
Loan duo Louis Laing and Stephen McLaughlin are impressing over the river at Notts County. McLaughlin netted his first goal for the Magpies in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy win at Scunthorpe United in midweek while defender Laing was named as man of the match at Glanford Park.
Elsewhere in the Championship, Watford are making the Forest of two seasons ago look like a model of stability when it comes to managerial changes. The Vicarage Road club are onto their fourth boss of the season with Billy McKinlay lasting just two games and eight days before being replaced by Slavisa Jokanovic.