Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton has plenty of options at his disposal

Posted Wednesday, January 20, 2021 by PA

Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton has options as he targets a fourth successive win when Middlesbrough head for the City Ground on Wednesday evening.

Hughton restored seven of the men rested for the FA Cup third-round victory over Cardiff to his starting line-up for Saturday’s 3-1 Championship success against Millwall.

Defender Scott McKenna was handed a first league start since December 5 along with striker Alex Mighten, whose last Championship appearance came on Boxing Day, as Tobias Figueiredo and Anthony Knockaert, who has now extended his loan from Fulham, missed out.

Luke Freeman is back in training after a hernia operation, but fellow midfielder Harry Arter is a doubt and Jack Colback is still weeks away from a return after an ankle injury.

Boro boss Neil Warnock will be without Marcus Browne as the midfielder prepares to undergo surgery.

Browne suffered suspected cruciate ligament damage to his left knee during the 2-1 FA Cup third-round defeat at Brentford on January 9 and will not play again this season.

Britt Assombalonga and Duncan Watmore are expected to be available after being used only as substitutes in Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat by Birmingham following the club’s Covid-19 outbreak, while Jonny Howson emerged unscathed from his return from the bench after a six-game absence with a hamstring problem.

Warnock otherwise has no fresh selection problems and striker Ashley Fletcher could be back among the fold by the end of the month after making significant progress in his recovery from the hamstring injury which has sidelined him since September, while defender Grant Hall (thigh) is also on the mend.