Nottingham Forest have made a decent start to their second season back in the Premier League. The Reds stayed up with a game to spare during 2022/23 and they will look for signs of progression this time around.
There have been some good performances from Forest, particularly away from home. The results haven’t always been positive but they do have four points on their travels at this stage.
The challenge will come in replicating the home form that basically guaranteed survival last season. So far, the Reds have won one and drawn two at the City Ground.
Some players have made promising starts to the season but as we move into the winter months, Steve Cooper might have to start dipping into his squad more often.
Here, we looked at three players who could do with a few more minutes after the international break.
Odysseas Vlachodimos
Players who have played frequently in the Champions League and Europa League won’t be satisfied with sitting on the bench. Right now, that’s exactly what the Greece number one is doing at Forest.
Vlachodimos joined Forest in a deal worth around £10 million from Benfica. He had fallen out of favour in Portugal and right now, he’s behind Matt Turner at the City Ground.
The 29-year-old is at the age where he will want to be playing regular first-team football. Vlachodimos seems like a good goalkeeper and Cooper could do with giving him a go at some point after the international break.
Anthony Elanga
This might seem a strange one given that Elanga has featured in every game for Forest in the Premier League. However, he’s only started two games in the league and he needs that run of starts.
The 21-year-old was signed for £15 million from Manchester United during the summer. He’s looked lively when called upon but recently he’s shown some rustiness in his performances.
Elanga is absolutely rapid but he will be keen to show that he’s got more than an injection of pace. The only way he will truly get up to full speed is if Cooper hands him more chances to start from the off in games.
Divock Origi
Chris Wood has clearly worked hard on his fitness in the summer but unleashing Origi after the international break looks a good option. The proven Premier League player will be desperate to get going and he’s another won’t fancy sitting on the bench.
Origi has an abundance of experience in the Premier League. He proved a man for the big occasion during his time at Liverpool and enjoyed many memorable nights in the Champions League with them.
With Taiwo Awoniyi now out injured for around a month, this could be a golden opportunity for the Belgian. Cooper has some thinking to do but the man on loan from AC Milan deserves a chance to start when domestic football returns.
