Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton knows what it’s like to be a goalscoring hero in a local derby.
And he hopes one of his players will be able to make their own mark on the East Midlands clash tomorrow night.
Hughton, a former full-back, netted a brace for Tottenham Hotspur during his playing days as they thumped bitter enemies Arsenal 5-0 back in 1983.
It is, he says, his favourite memory of being involved in a local rivalry - but the aim is to end up with another special moment come full-time against Derby County at Pride Park.
Injury latest
Nottingham Forest have received a welcome injury boost with the news Scott McKenna is expected to return to training next week.
The Scottish defender has been absent for more than a month with an ankle problem, having last featured in the 2-1 defeat at home to Middlesbrough five weeks ago.
Reds boss Chris Hughton expects he is still a couple of weeks away from a potential first-team comeback, but is delighted that shouldn’t be too far away now.
“I think it will take him a while,” the Reds manager told NottinghamshireLive. “But we are delighted to have him back next week.
Johnson reflects
Brennan Johnson insists he wasn't unsettled by speculation linking him with a return to Nottingham Forest in January.
The forward’s brilliant form for Lincoln City over the first half of the season prompted talk that the Reds would cut his season-long loan short.
But with Johnson unlikely to go into Forest’s first-team, Reds boss Chris Hughton decided to let him see out the campaign with Lincoln.
“There was uncertainty about whether I would go into the [Forest] team,” said Johnson ahead of Lincoln's trip to Plymouth on Saturday.
Transfer talk
Former Nottingham Forest defender Anel Ahmedhodzic has been linked with a sensational move to Manchester United.
The 21-year-old left the City Ground in January 2019 for Malmo, where he has developed into a key player for the Swedish club.
The Bosnia international has reportedly been in talks to join Serie A side Atalanta and an agreement over a 11 million euro summer move is said to have been reached.
But, according to French website JFooteux, the deal was not concluded due to a “lack of time”.
