Nottingham Forest Dean Henderson in action
Sky Sports contributor and injury expert Ben Dinnery has given his verdict on the timeline of return for Nottingham Forest’s Dean Henderson.
The Lowdown: Henderson sidelined
Henderson picked up an injury for Steve Cooper’s side last month in their 2-0 victory against Leicester City at the City Ground.
Forest acted on transfer deadline day and signed Costa Rican shot-stopper Keylor Navas on loan until the end of the season.
Navas’ debut for the club ended with a clean sheet and three points for the Garibaldi against Leeds United in the Premier League.
The Latest: Dinnery’s Henderson claim
Cooper claimed Henderson is ‘some way off’ a return, according to Dinnery, though he wouldn’t be surprised if he is back sooner than expected
Speaking to the Premier FPL Injuries YouTube channel, he said: “With regards to a return-to-play timeline, nothing definitive. But we did hear [that] Steve Cooper said the goalkeeper on loan from Manchester United is some way off.
“However, what I would say is you take that with a pinch of salt, because we’ve seen the return have Morgan Gibbs-White at the weekend. Now, he picked up an ankle problem in that first-leg tie against Manchester United.
“We heard from Steve Cooper during the week. He said again, we don’t know the extent of it, he is a quick healer, but suffice to say he will not face Manchester United and he will not be available in the short term.
“So we were expecting at least another week or two on the sidelines. However, he [Gibbs-White] came back, he started and played very, very well.”
The Verdict: Perfect cover
We believe that Henderson doesn’t need to be rushed back into Nottingham Forest’s starting XI, as Navas will certainly do a job for them.
Cooper was quick to praise his deadline-day signing against Leeds when speaking after the match.
He stated: “He was outstanding in the first half.
“The obvious talking points are his saves – and rightly so, he deserves all the credit for that. But I loved his composure in the game as well; his game-management and his decision-making.
“We’re really pleased he’s here. We’re really looking forward to working with him now.”
Our view is that Navas is the perfect cover for Henderson in the Forest net, as he’s an experienced pro who’s played at the top level with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
The Costa Rican shot-stopper hasn’t just featured at a couple of top clubs, but also won a number of trophies and honours with both of his previous clubs, so in our view, they’ve landed a top player for the remainder of the season.
About the Author
