Opinion: Nottingham Forest midfielder expected to replace 18-year-old against Stoke
Soccer Football - Championship - Burton Albion vs Nottingham Forest - Pirelli Stadium, Burton-on-Trent, Britain - February 17, 2018 Nottingham Forest's Ben Watson gestures Action Images/Alan Walter EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Ben Watson is expected to return to the starting eleven when Nottingham Forest lock horns with Stoke City on Friday evening – the 34-year-old was rested in Tuesday’s EFL Cup defeat to Arsenal. Sabri Lamouchi named Brennan Johnson in midfield alongside Tiago Silva and is likely to swap out the former for Watson.
The Englishman has been a key player under Lamouchi, featuring heavily during pre-season and amassing 680 minutes of Championship football from a possible 720 in 2019/20. Watson has contributed two goals in eight appearances, averaged 40 passes-per-game and averaged a tackle (19) or interception (10) every 23 minutes.
Lamouchi has depth in the engine room from Silva, Ryan Yates, Samba Sow, Alfa Semedo, John Bostock and Claudio Yacob, but Watson has been one of the first names on the teamsheet. His fine form has coincided with Forest’s incredible start to the season – sixth in the Championship and just two points adrift of leaders Leeds United.
The Reds have won three and drawn one of their last four in the league and boast the third-best defensive record too (6). On Friday, they face a Stoke side currently 23rd in the table without a win to their name, so Forest will be hoping for all three points at the Britannia Stadium.