Key Nottingham Forest star undergoes surgery less than 2 weeks before crucial West Ham basement battle
Nottingham Forest will have to without one of their star players for longer than they hoped.
Nottingham Forest have been dealt an injury blow with a basement battle with West Ham coming into focus on the other side of the New Year. After a hugely impressive campaign of last that saw Nottingham Forest reach the Europa League, it has been a nightmare season for the East Midlands side so far this term.
Forest made the bizarre decision to fire Nuno Espirito Santo and replace him with Ange Postecoglou, who lasted just a matter of weeks. Forest are now hoping to turn things around under Seaon Dyche, and despite losing to Manchester City on Saturday, they do look a much more solid outfit.
Still, the Midlands side are realistically one of the two sides West Ham need to look at catching, along with Leeds United, with the rest of the teams above 16th not looking like realistic relegation candidates.
It would be some story if Santo could relegate the team that harshly sacked him just months after he led them back into Europe, but there is plenty of work for the Portuguese boss to do in East London.
As for Forest, they will not be helped by the extended absence of star striker Chris Wood, who has been out since October. The experienced frontman has now confirmed that he has undergone surgery that will keep him out for an extended period, including the key relegation battle with West Ham on January 6.
"The Christmas I didn't expect, you can never know what football throws at you," Wood wrote on Instagram. "From the highs of last season to now the battles and the lows personally of this season. You have to be ready for anything.
"Truly gutting and frustrating that I'll be on the sideline for another period of time. It's what's needed to come back stronger and better to help my team-mates do the job needed in the Premier League and in Europe."
The exact nature of the surgery has not been confirmed, but we do know it is on his knee given he has ben spotted wearing a knee brace in recent weeks.
Wood fired Forest into Europe with 20 goals in the Premier League last season, but he has only managed eight league appearances so far this season, and he has only scored twice.
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