Nottingham Forest will be without captain Ryan Yates and defender Nicolo Savona for their opening Premier League fixture against Leeds United, manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed.
Forest welcome Leeds to the City Ground on Sunday, but neither player will be included in Glasner's first matchday squad of the new campaign.
Savona's absence is expected to last longer after the Italian suffered a setback in his recovery from knee surgery.
Glasner confirms Yates and Savona will miss Leeds
Yates missed Forest's final pre-season fixture and has now been ruled out of Sunday's game.
“Ryan Yates and Savona won’t make the matchday squad,” Glasner confirmed.
Despite the two absences, the Forest manager stressed that he still has plenty of options available, with 23 fit playerscompeting for places.
“Everyone has had a chance to show through pre-season that they can help the team in winning games and I have to take a decision by tomorrow,” Glasner said.
“But these two players can’t make the squad.”
Losing captain Yates is nevertheless a setback heading into the opening weekend, particularly given his experience and established role within the Forest squad.
Savona suffers setback in knee recovery
There is greater clarity surrounding Savona's absence.
The Italian defender has been sidelined since undergoing surgery in March and had been expected to be closer to a first-team return by this stage.
His knee has not responded to an increased workload as Forest hoped, forcing the club's medical staff to reduce his rehabilitation programme.
“We thought he would be further than where he is now,” Glasner explained.
“He had a minor setback after his knee reacted more with the load than we wanted.”
Savona has subsequently returned to gym work as Forest attempt to carefully manage the next stage of his recovery.
“We had to take a step back, so he’s working in the gym again and working on his knee to get back on the grass,” Glasner added.
The manager expects it to be another couple of weeks before Savona is ready to progress sufficiently towards a return.
Forest still have strong squad for Leeds test
While Glasner will be without two players, Forest are not facing a wider availability crisis ahead of Leeds.
Having 23 fit players means the manager will actually have to leave five available members of his squad out of the matchday selection.
Pre-season performances will now influence those final decisions as Glasner prepares his team for their first competitive test of the campaign.
The immediate concern will be replacing Yates' influence, while Savona's rehabilitation will continue away from first-team action.
Key Points
- Ryan Yates and Nicolo Savona will miss Nottingham Forest's opener against Leeds.
- Captain Yates also missed Forest's final pre-season fixture.
- Savona has suffered a minor setback in his recovery from knee surgery.
- The Italian is currently back working in the gym.
- Glasner believes Savona will need another couple of weeks.
- Forest still have 23 fit players available for Sunday's game.
What's Next?
Glasner must now finalise his starting XI and matchday squad for Sunday's meeting with Leeds, with competition for places remaining strong despite the two confirmed absences.
Savona will continue his rehabilitation programme before attempting to return to grass work, while Forest will hope Yates' absence does not develop into a longer-term issue.
How big a miss will Ryan Yates be for Nottingham Forest against Leeds United? Have your say.
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