Nottingham Forest face a crisis after Lewis Grabban was forced off through injury in yesterday’s 1-0 win over Peterborough United.
Promotion chasing Forest have been without Grabban for the majority of the year, after he suffered an ankle injury at the end of January. He has only recently returned so to see him out injured again is a huge setback for Steve Cooper’s side.
With their victory the club have taken a big stride towards securing a top six finish, they currently sit fourth in the Championship on 73 points. Since Cooper took over as boss at The City Ground, Forest have been in exceptional form and sit second only to already promoted Fulham.
Grabban came on as a substitute yesterday for the goal scorer Sam Surridge but then had to come off in the 89th minute.
The 34-year old has contributed massively this season making 32 appearances and being directly involved in 16 goals. If they are to be without him for the rest of the season then it could seriously affect their hopes of being promoted to the Premier League.
Should Grabban stay at Forest?
When Cooper was asked about the injury he told Nottinghamshire Live: “He was clear straight away that he needed to come off. We’ve got our fingers crossed for him.”
His contract expires this summer and whether or not he stays might be dependent on Forest’s promotion chase. He has experience of playing in the Premier League for both Norwich City and Bournemouth, however, he’s always failed to replicate the form he’s shown at Championship level and at his age now it may be asking too much.
Not keeping him on will also allow the club to save on their wage bill with the former Jamaican international on a wage of £25k-per-week.
The injury adds to the list of dilemmas that Cooper faces, with on-loan Aston Villa star Keenan Davis also out meaning Surridge is the only recognised senior striker at the club who’s fit.
The Reds haven’t been in the top flight since the turn of the century and many would like to see them make a return due to the history and stature of the club.
