Images have emerged of Nottingham Forest defender Yohan Benalouane back in the gym as he recovers from injury.

The Tunisian centre-back arrived at the City Ground from Leicester City in January and was an important player in the second half of last season, making 14 appearances for the Reds.

The 32-year-old had surgery on his back in the summer and is currently undergoing rehabilitation ahead of his return.

Benalouane

/benalouaneyohan/">took to Instagram to post an update of his progress, showing him working on strengthening his back following the surgery.

Earlier this week, he revealed on Instagram that he hopes to return to training in six weeks.

Due to his injury, he has never featured for new boss Sabri Lamouchi, however, the French coach appears to admire him and described his absence as “a big loss for us as a player, as a man, as a leader”.

Benalouane is an experienced defender with top-flight pedigree, having represented sides in the Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1.

The Verdict

The image of Benalouane should be encouraging for Forest fans as it shows that the centre-back is making progress and is on his way back.

It will be interesting to see where the 32-year-old stands in the defensive pecking order once he returns to full fitness as Lamouchi currently has six centre-backs in his first-team squad.

Captain Michael Dawson and Joe Worrall appear to be first-choice, having started every Championship game together this season, and seem to be building a solid partnership.

At this point, it is difficult to see Benalouane replacing either of them but he may rival Tobias Figueiredo and Chema, who appear to be the next in line.