Nottingham Forest got back to winning ways earlier this week as they edged Norwich after losing to Birmingham last weekend.

The three points was the perfect response for Mark Warburton and his men and it has kept them well within range of the top six places as we head towards the festive period.

Indeed, it's an exciting time to be a Forest fan at the moment with them playing some great football and it'll be a real indication of where they are when they come up against Cardiff City this weekend.

The Bluebirds have emerged as serious contenders this year and do not seem to be going away so will be a challenge but, thankfully for Forest, they're set to welcome back Armand Traore to their defence.

The injury list was beginning to pile up for the Reds but - as per Mark Warburton who's been quoted by the Nottingham Post - the impressive left-back will be available against the Welsh side.

He said:

“Armand is fit and he will be available on Sunday. Did Tendayi or Eric deserve to come out of the squad here? That was the question we had to ask.

“Armand had missed four or five days of training. I could have played him against Norwich, but he will benefit from more training this week."

Some good news for Forest, then, and if they can beat Cardiff they'll be putting out a big statement to the rest of the division that they are a genuine force.

The Verdict

Forest are looking in good shape at the moment and Traore's return is only going to boost things as they aim to bring down Cardiff.

Let's see if their attacking flair can put Neil Warnock's side away.

Thoughts, Forest fans? Let us know below!