Steve Cooper, the head coach of Nottingham Forest, has issued an update on Willy Boly. The 20-man roster didn’t include the center back when Forest and Burnley drew 1-1 on Monday night.
The Ivorian defender had a strong start to the year. The seasoned enforcer participated in the Carabao Cup loss to Burnley and started the opening four games of the Premier League season.
Boly, though, was not selected for the Forest team on Monday night. The central defenders for the Reds as they sought their third victory of the year were Scott McKenna and Joe Worrall.
The 32-year-old has proven to be an excellent addition for the Reds. Boly made 15 appearances for the Reds last season and has been somewhat of a surprise since joining Forest.
His fitness, though, is the only factor that has impeded his advancement at the City Ground. It was perhaps unfortunate that he wasn’t healthy enough to start again on Monday night after a strong start to the season.
However, it doesn’t seem like he will be absent for very long. Prior to Saturday’s match between Forest and Manchester City, Cooper was questioned about Boly.
Willy Boly is back with us, he told BBC Sport. He’s another person we keep an eye on every day.
Cooper provides a Boly report before Forest’s trip to Manchester City.
This Saturday, the seasoned defender will return to the Reds. If he is healthy, he must play, and Cooper will likely switch back to his three-man central defensive scheme.
Now that they have a few central defenders, Forest is fortunate. Worrall, Moussa Niakhate, McKenna, and Felipe have all experienced fitness-related issues.
Forest currently has two young players waiting for their time. Andrew Omobamidele and Murillo both signed during the transfer window, and they will soon be competing.
Boly’s comeback is a significant benefit for Forest. He will now attempt to reclaim his spot in the squad for the exhausting-seeming trip to Manchester City this weekend.
