Latest Nottingham Forest news as Reds boss Sean Dyche discusses midfielder Douglas Luiz's loan from Juventus
22:30, 19 Dec 2025
Douglas Luiz shakes hands with Sean Dyche as Nicolas Dominguez looks on after Nottingham Forest's win over Utrecht
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Douglas Luiz shakes hands with Sean Dyche as Nicolas Dominguez looks on after Nottingham Forest's win over Utrecht(Image: Getty)
Head coach Sean Dyche has insisted his Nottingham Forest team selection will not be impacted by a clause in Douglas Luiz’s loan deal.
Midfielder Luiz is spending the season at the City Ground on loan from Juventus. His contract includes a conditional obligation - understood to be appearance-based - for the Reds to sign him permanently in the summer.
It is understood Forest are currently not close to triggering the obligation, with reports from Italy claiming it involves the player making 15 Premier League appearances of 45 minutes or more. Senior officials at the club will be keeping tabs on where things stand, but Dyche is clear he is paying little attention to the situation and will continue to keep picking Luiz - when he believes it is right to play the Brazilian.
“Absolutely. I have the freedom to manage the club - they (the Forest hierarchy) have made that very clear, particularly when it comes to the team,” Dyche said ahead of Monday’s clash at Fulham (8pm kick-off).
“There’s no question of any of the contractual side of things for me. Other people look after all the contracts here.
“They let me get on with doing my job. They talk to me about the bigger picture - players, possible players coming in or going out, all that sort of stuff, standard practice.
“I don’t need to know the nitty-gritty of the contracts. They just let me do my job and carry on with the players I think should play.”
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Luiz has been limited to four starts and one substitute outing for the Reds in the Premier League so far. He has been hampered by a hamstring injury and is still getting back to full fitness, but hitting the heights he managed when he was at Aston Villa is the aim.
The 27-year-old shone during his time in the West Midlands. His big-money move to Juve from there in the summer of 2024 hasn’t worked out as hoped, but there is no question about his quality.
With Ibrahim Sangare now on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations and Ryan Yates sidelined, Forest are a little short on numbers in the centre of the pitch. Sangare has been a regular starter of late, but the door could now be opened for Luiz to get a run in the side.
“It’s down to him as much as us,” Dyche said when quizzed on Luiz getting back to his best. “He knows that.
“He’s an experienced pro and he understands where he needs to be at to perform. He is a very good player, without a doubt - we have all seen that.
“He certainly seems to be enjoying his time here at the moment. Long may that continue.
“He’s another one who was very unlucky when we got here, being out with an injury. But he is a talented player.
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“He is adapting to what we do, albeit he has had a spell out. But he seems to be - and he tells me he is - enjoying life here.
“He is a good player and we want him to play when he can do. But we have to make sure he’s right. He is still not quite there but he is getting there, that’s for sure.”
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