Dan Ndoye sends message to Nicolo Savona after Nottingham Forest injury update

Savona posted on Instagram that he is back training on grass after nine months out with a knee injury suffered in January.

Nicolo Savona is nearing a return to action for Nottingham Forest after nine months sidelined by a serious knee injury. The 23-year-old Italian defender last played in January before suffering the injury in training, which required surgery in March. He posted on Instagram with the caption "Happy to be back on grass," signalling his progress in rehabilitation.

Teammate Dan Ndoye replied with encouragement. Savona made 20 appearances for Forest last season following his £11.2m move from Juventus, registering four goal contributions before his injury. He was linked with a move away in the summer but a setback delayed his comeback.

When fully fit, Savona is expected to compete for a place in Forest's back three at right wing-back, where his statistics from last season suggest he may offer more attacking threat and defensive solidity than current options.