ange Postecoglou
Nottingham Forest’s Douglas Luiz, currently on loan from Juventus, has been ruled out of the upcoming match against Sunderland due to a hamstring issue. Luiz was substituted at half-time during Wednesday’s Europa League draw with Real Betis as a precautionary measure. Despite initial optimism from head coach Ange Postecoglou, Luiz is set to undergo a scan to assess the extent of the injury. The club remains hopeful that the injury is not severe, but Luiz will miss the weekend’s fixture at the City Ground.
Ange Postecoglou said: “Douglas Luiz wasn’t great yesterday so we have sent him for a scan on his hamstring. He won’t be available this weekend. With him, I think we have got to be really careful with how we use him in the early part of the year. He had a lot of issues last year at Juventus and came in late here. We’ll just be cautious with him. We’ll see what the scan says but he definitely won’t be available this week. It’s nothing serious, we know that; it’s nothing significant. But with the international window around the corner, there might be an opportunity for us to really build him up because he’s such a good player and we saw that the other night.”
Postecoglou continued: “It doesn’t feel he’s at peak physical fitness. Murillo is still not where we want him to be. He is still doing individual training. We were hoping he would progress a bit quicker, but it was a pretty severe knock on his thigh. We’ve just got to be patient with him. He is out on the grass and working individually. It is just a matter of incorporating him back into the team. Everyone else is as is. Rest and recovery has been important for those who featured in Seville. That is going to be a constant.”
Postecoglou added: “That is the one thing I know about European football, it will challenge you. Sometimes it’s not just the opposition, it’s the conditions. The conditions the other night had quite an impact on the lads. We didn’t get back until the early hours of Thursday morning. But they had a good day of recovery yesterday and the whole group trained today. I think the majority of them have bounced back pretty well – certainly from a physical standpoint. From a mental standpoint, we know the challenge now is to be able to park whatever emotions we had from the other night and focus fully on what is going to be a tough game tomorrow.”
The absence of Douglas Luiz is a significant blow for Nottingham Forest as they prepare to face Sunderland. Luiz’s performance in the Europa League showcased his potential impact on the team, making his absence felt even more. The club’s medical team is taking a cautious approach to his recovery, especially with his history of injuries at Juventus. Meanwhile, Murillo’s recovery is also being closely monitored as he continues individual training following a thigh injury. The team is focusing on recovery and maintaining fitness levels following their European commitments, emphasizing the challenges posed by the demanding schedule.
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