Nottingham Forest captain Henri Lansbury has declared himself fit to play in this weekend’s Sky Bet Championship home clash with Brentford. Speaking to the Nottingham Post, the former Arsenal youngster revealed that he ‘ready to go’ and hopes caretaker boss Paul Williams considers him for selection.
It was originally feared that Lansbury’s season was over after sustaining ankle ligament damage against Queens Park Rangers in January 2016. However he has made a quicker than expected recovery, providing the Reds with a welcome option to their squad.
Injuries have plagued Nottingham Forest’s campaign this season, with the likes of Matty Fryatt, Britt Assombalonga and Andy Reid amongst those who have failed to stamp their authority on Forest’s campaign thus far. 25-year-old Lansbury however insists his injury problems are hopefully behind him and wants to help his teammates bounce back after losing to local rivals Derby County before the international break,
“I am ready to go. I am always telling everyone that I am ready for it.
“I am available for selection this weekend. I do not know how long I would last, in all honestly, if I started the game.
“But I am ready to find out and I will give my all, if I am given that opportunity.”
Ex-Peterborough striker Assombalonga recently made his comeback in a Under-21 game, scoring and setting up a goal in the process. It is unlikely he will return against Brentford on Saturday, but he certainly has an outside chance. It is more likely he’ll need more minutes before appearing in the league schedule before the season ends in May.
Regarding Lansbury, all of his focus is on impressing the management team of Williams and Andy Reid, as they look to get their season back on track. He is delighted to have resumed training recently, suggesting he missed interacting with the squad in this environment,
“Training with the boys is sharp enough and I have been doing extra running after training as well, to get my levels up, without needing to play in the under-21 side.
“Hopefully I will get a few minutes on the pitch against Brentford as well, to add to that.”
A top-half finish is still more than achievable for the City Ground club, but three points against a Brentford side who are not completely safe from relegation will make that look much more of a reality.
