Commons Nearly Ready To Return

The midfielder played 60 minutes of a behind-closed-doors reserve match yesterday. He appeared to come through the 3-0 defeat to Coventry unscathed, despite a pre-season ankle injury.

Whether Commons will be ready to be named in the squad for Saturday's clash with Carlisle is unclear. But after an injury-hampered campaign last season, he will not risk further problems by rushing himself back.

Commons said: 'I've been out for five or six weeks and that's like the whole summer.

'I had a good pre-season, but now I've been out for another six weeks so I didn't want to be rushed into games and start pulling muscles and be out for another couple of weeks.

'It's like a new pre-season for me and I'm hoping I can get a lot of fitness work done and open out the lungs.

'It's mainly getting your mind back to what it was, in terms of sharpness, in pre-season. As soon as I can do that I will look to get back as soon as possible.'

The ankle injury - picked up in a pre-season friendly with Lincoln - was a major blow to Commons and Colin Calderwood.

After looking so promising in the summer, Calderwood was banking on the 23-year-old playing a pivotal role in Forest's promotion challenge.

Commons revealed he has suffered a roller-coaster of emotions since first suffering the injury.

'I couldn't believe it when the scans came back and it was all clear - I didn't want to get my hopes up in case they'd missed something. But I had a second scan and it's put my mind at rest.

'It was just a stretching out of the tendons and nerves, rather than anything snapping. It was definitely positive news, but after hearing that, I didn't think I would be another six weeks out.

'It's a long time for a nothing injury.'

NEP

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