Luke Freeman has opened up his injury problems which have sidelined him for nearly half of the 2020/21 campaign.

Freeman joined Forest on loan from Sheffield United in the summer, but has since made only 12 league appearances for the Reds including 10 starts.

The 28-year-old missed more than two months of the season due to a hernia problem, which he was sent to a specialist in Germany for.

Freeman is now back in the first-team picture at Forest, and started the last two games against Wycombe Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth.

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live after the Bournemouth game, Freeman opened up on what has been a "frustrating" campaign for the midfielder, and revealed he had "wrong surgery" on an injury before his move to the City Ground.

He said: "It's been very frustrating to be perfectly honest with you. I had surgery before I joined the club which I thought had been and gone. But it turned out I had the wrong surgery; the surgery was done wrong.

“I was playing with a lot of pain when I first joined. It was only until I went to Germany to see a specialist that we found out exactly what was going on and realised it was completely wrong.

“It was nice to get that redone, get it sorted out, and I’m finally getting back to feeling strong and pain-free, which is massive for me.”

The Verdict

It has been a shame to see Freeman struggle as he is a very talented player who has ripped up this division before.

He hasn't been up to full match fitness and looks quite lethargic whenever he plays, which is now perfectly understandable given that he has been playing through pain.

With time, he should start to get fitter and feel more sharper, and then Forest fans will see the real Luke Freeman and the player who did so well at QPR in the Championship previously.

If they can get that player out of him, then what a signing they have on their hands.