Scott McKenna could start Nottingham Forests tie with Cardiff

Scott McKenna will hope to return to the Nottingham Forest team when they host Cardiff in the FA Cup.

The defender has been edging nearer to making a comeback from an ankle injury and was an unused substitute in the Reds’ Championship win at Preston last weekend.

He has been training and Forest boss Chris Hughton may recall him for the third-round tie on Saturday.

Luke Freeman is another who had been training as he recovers from a hernia operation, but this game will come too soon for the on-loan Sheffield United player. Fellow midfielder Jack Colback (ankle) is around another month away from being back in contention.

Cardiff have problems in central defence ahead of the trip to the City Ground.

Captain Sean Morrison’s ankle injury, sustained in the defeat at Wycombe on December 29, will keep him out, meaning Curtis Nelson is the only recognised senior centre-back who is fit and available to Bluebirds boss Neil Harris.

Sol Bamba (back) is out and Filip Benkovic, on loan from Leicester, has been recalled. Cardiff this week recalled Aden Flint from his loan at Sheffield Wednesday, although he is still recovering from a hamstring operation.

City’s league game against Rotherham was postponed last week due to snow in South Yorkshire, so midfielder Harry Wilson may have had time to recover from the knock he was nursing after the Wycombe loss. Striker Kieffer Moore (hamstring), forward Lee Tomlin (groin) and on-loan Arsenal defender Jordi Osei-Tutu (hamstring) are still unavailable.