Nottingham Forest striker Hillal Soudani has returned to training after missing months of the season with a knee injury, according to the Nottingham Post.

The 31-year-old has made just eight appearances for Forest all season, scoring two goals and injured his knee in the EFL Cup defeat at Burton Albion in October.

The Algerian international arrived at the City Ground from Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb in the summer, after being signed by Aitor Karanka, but has endured a frustrating first season in English football.

Forest are currently 11th in the Championship table, but three straight defeats have all but ended their chances of making the play-offs.

Martin O'Neill's side are eight points outside the top six, with just four matches left to play and face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane tomorrow, before Middlesbrough visit the City Ground on Monday.

The Verdict:

This is encouraging news for Nottingham Forest, although with just four matches to go, it's unlikely that the striker will be fit enough to return before the end of the season.

However, it's good to see that he is making progress towards a long-term recovery, after what have been a difficult few months for the forward.

Soudani must now focus on getting fit for the start of pre-season, so that he can make an impact in the Championship next campaign.