Yohan Benalouane gave a positive injury update on Instagram, showing himself working hard in the gym during the international break. The 32-year-old has recently returned to training after a lengthy layout and could be back out on the pitch in the coming weeks.
Benalouane’s last appearance for Nottingham Forest came against Sheffield United on April 19. The Tunisian international has spent the last seven months recovering from a back injury and is now working on his fitness & conditioning with the first-team.
Stiff competition for places might keep Benalouane out of the starting lineup, however. Sabri Lamouchi has Joe Worrall, Tobias Figueiredo, Michael Dawson and Chema Rodriguez at his disposal. Michael Hefele is on the recovery trail too, so it’s hard to see him featuring a lot during the second half of the season.
Since joining from Leicester City in January, the central defender has gone on to make 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal. His deal is up next summer and it’s unlikely Forest will renew his deal given they have four players ahead of him in the pecking order.
Benalouane returning from injury is great news, but supporters may not see a lot of him in 2019/20.