Nottingham Forest blog: Jack Hobbs will be massive loss for Forest

So the news we had all feared was officially confirmed this afternoon when it was announced that central defender Jack Hobbs will miss another three months after ankle surgery.
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Nottingham Forest head physio Dave Galley confirmed the news on the official website this morning that Hobbs has suffered a recurrence of the injury which saw him miss half of last season, and he has subsequently undergone surgery.

The 26-year-old has experienced a somewhat disjointed career in the garibaldi red and he will be a massive loss once again for us as we desperately search for a settled back four.

It had seemed that Hobbs was over the worst of the horrid ankle problems and has made five first team appearances so far during the 2014/15 season.

If we had the option to rely on Hobbs he would certainly get my vote to partner Michael Mancienne at the heart of the Forest defence.

I feel that his intelligence and ability to read the game would put him slightly in front of Kelvin Wilson when it comes to that selection.

With former Celtic man Wilson hobbling off in the weekend draw with Ipswich Town, it could, as it did last season, open the door once again for Jamaal Lascelles to put forward his claim for a regular starting berth.

There is a fantastic image doing the rounds this week from the England camp where Lascelles, who was asked by Roy Hodgson to train with the senior squad, is seen showing Wayne Rooney a clean set of heels as he typically plays the ball out from the back.

The 20-year-old is of course away with the England U21 squad, but I have no doubt in my mind that if Lascelles goes back to parent club Newcastle United and gets the top flight experience he craves, he can be a regular for England for years to come.

I like Lascelles. For those unaware he is a young central defender who is in the Rio Ferdinand mould. Keeps it simple, keeps it to feet – most of the time, and is an all round solid young defender.

The only thing Lascelles needs really is game time and our current injury situation could initiate that.

Certainly playing next to in-form Mancienne will help his development as the stand-in captain is in scintillating form.

Whether it be the England U21 man, Wilson or when he is fit Hobbs, I just hope that for the next five or six games following the international break we can keep a pairing together and get them playing regular.

We have already shown this season that when we do this we are very capable of going on runs where we don’t concede goals and is vital that if Wilson should be missing for a few weeks Lascelles and Mancienne gel quickly.

No doubt the opinion of who should play as the two central defenders if everyone was fully fit will divide opinion amongst fans. The fact I have even produced this article on the subject just goes to show the strength in depth that Stuart Pearce has now installed at the City Ground.

I for one wish Hobbs a speedy recovery as he is the sort of player that knows the league and also knows how to get out of it. On his day he is as good as any centre back in the Championship and we need all of our best players fit for as much of the season as possible.

For now it looks as though we will have to do without him and fingers crossed that Lascelles can be showing the rest of the Championship those same heels he was showing £300,000 per week man Rooney this past week.