The decision to leave Manchester City loanee Aro Muric out of Nottingham Forest’s squad for Saturday’s defeat to Cardiff City was purely tactical, with boss Sabri Lamouchi explaining why Jordan Smith was selected as the substitute goalkeeper.
Muric has been an ever-present on Lamouchi’s bench in the Championship since being dropped in favour of Brice Samba prior to the 2-1 win at Fulham in late August.
Eyebrows were raised before the Reds’ frustrating 1-0 home reverse to Neil Harris’ Bluebirds on Saturday, with the Kosovo international left out of the matchday eighteen altogether.
Lamouchi, though, dispelled any suggestion there was anything more in Muric being omitted from the squad.
“Nothing,” said the Frenchman when asked why Muric wasn’t involved at the City Ground.
“There’s no problem at all.”
Muric’s last outing in a Forest shirt came in the 5-0 Carabao Cup defeat at Arsenal, but his last league display was the 1-1 draw away to Charlton on September 24.
Brice Samba has firmly established himself as the Reds’ number one, following his summer move from French outfit Caen, keeping six clean sheets in his 13 games.
