Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton has confirmed that striker Lewis Grabban will not feature in their Friday night clash with rivals Derby County.
The 33-year-old attacker’s involvement has been limited this season, with a hip problem keeping him out previously.
Grabban has been absent for Nottingham Forest’s recent victories over Blackburn Rovers and Rotherham United. In his absence, veteran striker Glenn Murray has led the line for Chris Hughton’s side.
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Now, ahead of Friday night’s high stakes clash with rivals Derby County, Hughton has provided an update on Grabban’s situation.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the Forest boss has confirmed that Grabban will not be ready in time to play against the Rams. While he hopes the attacker will be next week, Hughton insisted they will be taking no unnecessary risks. He said:
“We’re not expecting him to be out for long, it’s a very minor problem he’s got. We were hoping initially he would be available for the two games this week, but that hasn’t been the case.
“Even when he’s available, we’ve got to make sure we’re not taking any risks. At the moment, he isn’t available for tomorrow and we’ll assess him going into next week’s games.”
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With Grabban out, it will be interesting to see if Murray continues to lead the line for Forest against Derby County.
Lyle Taylor is Hughton’s other option up top. The former Charlton Athletic man has found most of his Championship appearances this season have come off the bench, coming on 16 times.
Who do you want to see start up front at Pride Park on Friday night? Murray or Taylor? Let us know what you think in the poll at the bottom of the page.
