Yohan Benalouane has been struggling with a hip injury and underwent surgery this summer, but he’s given a positive update to supporters on social media. The Nottingham Forest defender wrote on Instagram: “Recharging the batteries in the nature” and included a photo of himself in the south of France.
Benalouane hasn’t played a single minute of football this season and his return date is unknown, but fans will be happy to see he’s resting and is being optimistic. Whether he stands a chance of starting under Sabri Lamouchi remains to be seen, however.
Forest have stiff competition for places at centre-back from Tobias Figueiredo, Michael Dawson, Joe Worrall, Alexander Milosevic, Jack Robinson, Michael Hefele and new-boy Chema. Dawson and Worrall have impressed at the heart of the defence while Benalouane struggled with indiscipline last season.
The 32-year-old has made 14 appearances since joining Forest from Leicester City in January 2019, scoring one goal. His last outing for the Reds came against Sheffield United on April 19 and has been suspended ever since. Benalouane picked up seven yellow cards and two reds in Forest colours, so he may have a difficult task of getting opportunities in 2019/20.
