Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton has confirmed that Yuri Ribeiro is part of his 25-man squad, despite the full-back's lack of involvement this season.

Ribeiro joined Forest from Benfica last summer and instantly became a key player for the Reds, making 31 appearances for the Reds as they narrowly missed out on a top-six finish.

The full-back, though, has fallen out of favour at the City Ground this season, making only two appearances for the Reds and failing to feature since the end of September.

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Nicholas Ioannou has established himself as Forest's first-choice full-back, and in his absence at the weekend, Gaetan Bong came into the team with the Cypriot suspended.

But after travelling with the squad to the Riverside, Hughton has confirmed that Ribeiro is part of his 25-man squad at the City Ground, via Nottinghamshire Live.

The defender has been struggling with an ankle injury, with Hughton telling the press: "He's very much in the frame. He's fit and very much part of things."

Ribeiro will now be looking to impress Hughton in training and feature under the 61-year-old for the first time, as Forest prepare to face Coventry City tonight.

The Verdict

This is great news.

It looked as if Ribeiro wouldn't be named in Hughton's squad given his lack of first-team involvement this term, but at least there's a chance for him to impress.

I'm baffled that he hasn't been playing given that he was one of their most important players last season, but it's time for him to impress now he's back to full fitness.