Steve Cooper makes Braian Ojeda admission following Nottingham Forest’s defeat to Fulham | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has admitted that Braian Ojeda is edging closer to being ready to feature for the club in the Championship.

The midfielder was included in the Reds’ match-day squad for yesterday’s showdown with Fulham at the City Ground.

Whilst Ojeda was not given the chance to showcase his talent in this fixture, he could potentially be in contention to make his first senior appearance for his new side in their clash with Queens Park Rangers later this week.

Forest were unable to build upon their recent victories over Birmingham City, Blackpool and Bristol City on Sunday as they were outclassed by Marco Silva’s side.

Djed Spence’s unfortunate own goal gave Fulham the lead before Lewis Grabban missed a good opportunity to level proceedings following the break.

Aleksandar Mitrovic doubled his side’s advantage in the 58th minute as he fired past Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba.

Neeskens Kebano added a third for the visitors before Mitrovic made it 4-0 from the penalty spot.

As a result of this defeat, Forest slipped to 15th in the Championship standings.

Speaking to the Nottingham Post about his decision to include Ojeda in the club’s squad for this fixture, Cooper said: “We always think about who should be on the bench, and what changes you might want to make in the game.

“Braian is adapting well to coming here, both on and off the pitch.

“It’s just a step forward to being in the team on the pitch.”

The Verdict

When Ojeda is ready to make his bow in the second-tier, it will be intriguing to see how he will cope with the competitiveness that this division is famed for.

Before joining Forest in the summer transfer window, the midfielder made 22 appearances in all competitions for his former side Olimpia Asuncion during the 2021 campaign.

Capped at international level by Paraguay, Ojeda will be desperate to prove his worth to Cooper by delivering the goods on a consistent basis in the Championship.

However, when you consider that Forest are currently able to call upon the services of Ryan Yates, Jack Colback and James Garner, Ojeda may need to impress in training in order to force his way into the club’s starting eleven.