Nottingham Forest will again be without injured midfielders Samba Sow, Ryan Yates and Harry Arter for their trip to face Wycombe Wanderers.
The trio are making progress, but boss Chris Hughton says this weekend’s clash will come too soon - although he may have his options boosted for the match against Bournemouth a week on Saturday.
Yates and Arter are both struggling with calf problems, while Sow missed the midweek victory over Coventry City after damaging his ankle in the previous game, against Barnsley.
“At the moment, Sow and Arter will miss out,” Hughton said.
“We are hoping both will play a part in some of the training next week.
“They are continuing to be assessed, but at the moment they are both not available.
“Ryan Yates will miss the weekend. We’re hoping he’s going to play a part in some training next week. Whether that makes him available for Bournemouth, I don’t know.
“But the signs are he’s quite close, which is good.
“The only one we need to check on would be Sammy Ameobi, who we took off at half-time (on Tuesday night).
“He got a whack on his knee which was getting a little bit sore and stiff as the half went on.
“We need to assess him.”
Forest have been short on numbers in the centre of the pitch in recent weeks, but have been bolstered by the arrival of James Garner on loan from Manchester United.
He will almost certainly keep his place in the starting XI at Adams Park, most likely alongside Cafu.
Jack Colback did make his comeback against the Sky Blues, but that was his first taste of action since November.
“It’s good to have him back, particularly in an area where we’ve had injuries,” Hughton said.
“We’ve had Cafu playing in that position, when he’s naturally a player who generally plays a little bit higher - either an advanced midfielder in a three in midfield or, as we’ve used him, playing off the front.
“It is an area of the pitch where we have been light.
“To get Jack back, particularly as he came on having only trained two days before that, was good - that’s probably down to his experience. If it was somebody younger who had been out for the period of time he had, would we have put him in after two days? Possibly not.
“But with the experience he’s got, it’s good to have him back.
“It is important to have those options, and it is difficult (for team selection) when everyone is fit.
“Difficult, we would always settle for - having to make those tough decisions, as opposed to where we haven’t had many options in there.
“Ultimately, there are always going to be injuries. You want to get as many back as quickly as you can, and they are on their way back.”
Hughton also has a decision to make at left-back.
Yuri Ribeiro is available again after serving a three-match suspension, but replacement Gaetan Bong has put his name in the frame by doing well in his absence.
“It is a difficult choice, and one that you want,” Hughton told NottinghamshireLive.
“What you want is anyone who comes in does well.
“Sometimes you don’t like to speak about players as being first-choices, because that’s a decision on form. If somebody is playing well, it’s about staying in the position, or making changes because of the type of opposition, or for tactical reasons.
“What we were able to do towards the end of Tuesday’s game was bring Tyler (Blackett) on. Sometimes it’s good to have that little bit of flexibility as well - a Tyler or even a Yuri, possibly might be able to come in and do a job in the very short-term, with one in front, or it might allow us, for a period of time, to go with a three at the back.
“It’s really good to have those options and really good to have Yuri back.”
