Nottingham Forest return to action on Saturday after the international break, with an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Brighton on the horizon.
Whilst the international break is always a time to recover and reflect, Nuno Espirito Santo won’t be pleased to see that Chris Wood was injured on New Zealand duty, meaning that he will miss the away trip to Brighton.
Another disappointment from the international break was Morgan Gibbs-White’s England snub as the attacking midfielder received no minutes on the pitch from Thomas Tuchel so will look to prove him wrong on the south coast.
A welcome boost in the form of Anthony Elanga and Nikola Milenkovic nominated for Player of the Month will have aided morale in the Forest squad, who were put through the paces by five academy starlets given the opportunity to impress by Espirito Santo.
Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Kyle McAdam
Firstly, left-back Kyle McAdam was seen challenging Morato in a physical battle, a true test for the Forest Academy man’s ability to step into the first team.
McAdam has been compared to Ben Osborn which he’ll undoubtedly be happy with given the career the 30-year-old has gone on to have after breaking into the Reds side in 2014.
With Alex Moreno linked with a move to Real Betis, room at left back might well open up for McAdam if he can impress the Forest manager in these first-team opportunities.
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Josh Powell
Another left-back joining in first-team training was Josh Powell, but it’s not the first time he’s had a chance to impress at senior level.
Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Steve Cooper praised Powell in pre-season back in 2023 for his attitude during the side’s trip to Spain, so will be hoping to have a similar impact this time around as well.
Later in the same pre-season, Nigel Jemson was impressed by Powell for his display against Leeds United, highlighting that the youngster has shown promise that Espirito Santo may look to capitalise upon.
Jack Nadin
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Further up the pitch, winger Jack Nadin was spotted challenging fellow Forest Academy graduate, Ryan Yates for a ball.
Yates can be an example for all of these youth players being given a chance just by looking at his longevity at the City Ground, but Nadin has also put in some hard yards.
Nadin has impressed in the Nottinghamshire County Cup and has been seen in Vertu Trophy squads but not quite yet in the first team, with his time in training hopefully bringing him closer to that goal.
Jimmy Sinclair
Another defender, Sinclair is younger than the others mentioned so far at only 18 years of age, but looks to be a promising prospect for the Reds.
Whilst listed as a defender, it’ll be unsurprising to hear that Sinclair is still being used in a variety of positions at his age, including all the way up at right wing. It will be interesting to see if Espirito Santo can have an influence in nailing down a position for the youngster.
Photo by Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images
Photo by Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images
Joel Ndala
Perhaps the most noteworthy appearance was that of Joel Ndala, who has become an interesting figure in the Forest fanbase after his move from Manchester City on deadline day.
Ndala was always meant as an academy signing but this didn’t stop the excitement growing about the 18-year-old who is thought to be of high potential.
So much so that Forest signed Ndala to become a homegrown player for continental competitions, so seeing him in first-team training will have fans excited about what he could achieve in the coming years with the support of the Forest coaching staff.