New signing Richie Laryea will have to wait to make his Nottingham Forest debut as he is eased into action in the Championship.
The full-back penned a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Reds on Saturday, joining from MLS side Toronto in a move thought to be worth in the region of $1m (roughly £740,000).
It is his first taste of English football, having previously plied his trade in the United States and his Canadian homeland. And with Toronto’s season having finished in November, he has gone a few weeks without any competitive action.
Forest head coach Steve Cooper says he will not be in contention to face Millwall on Saturday, but believes the 27-year-old can have a big part to play in the months to come.
“He won’t be involved at the weekend,” Cooper said.
“He’s a player who can play on both sides. He can play as a full-back, as a wing-back and a winger, so he’s quite versatile.
“He offers another option on either side - predominantly on the right, but he has played quite a lot on the left as well.
“He’s an experienced international.
“He’s had to work hard to forge a good career and he sees this as a next step. He comes here hungry to impress and hungry to improve us.
“We’re looking forward to working with him.
“Of course it’s a little bit different, with him coming from outside of Europe, and that he hasn’t played loads of games recently.
“Our job is to get him up to speed as quickly as possible.”
Laryea’s versatility can make him a particularly useful option for Cooper as the Reds aim to continue their charge up the Championship table in the second half of the campaign.
They have been hit hard by a lengthy injury list and coronavirus-related absences in recent weeks, and have been keen to build a squad with sufficient strength in depth to challenge for promotion.
“You definitely need a few dual-rollers in your squad, that’s for sure, when you look at the fixture list,” said Cooper.
“Still being in the FA Cup means you get an extra game, and it means we have to move the Coventry game, plus we’ve got the rearranged Barnsley game.
“There are some really congested weeks in the season; you’re going to need more than your starting XI. Injuries, suspensions, Covid-19, anything could interfere with availability.
“The more good players we have available, the better - including some who can play in more than one position. You look at Jack Colback and Ryan Yates. It gives us better options to try to pick the right team.”
