Danilo ready to return against Luton

Nottingham Forest midfielder Danilo could make his return against Luton after recovering from a broken ankle.

The 23-year-old is expected to be in the squad for Forest's FA Cup third round tie at the City Ground on Saturday.

Danilo broke his ankle just six minutes into the season after landing awkwardly during Forest's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth in August.

He will not start the game, but boss Nuno Espirito Santo is hopeful the Brazilian can feature at some point.

He said: "We all wish to see Danilo back on the pitch. He is going to be involved in the squad, he is not going to start. Hopefully we can see him, but we are delighted to have him back.

"Danilo has a smile that is contagious. It has been really good to have him back."

He is likely to be part of a much-changed Forest squad against managerless Luton, who parted company with Rob Edwards on Thursday.

"We are ready to play against Luton. Of course we are going to make changes because every player deserves to start a game," said Nuno.

"We demand a lot from them and we see them work. It is a good chance for our players to play and enjoy themselves, and do their job properly.

"It's a reward, if I make myself clear, because the players are working very hard. If we could, we would play them every game but it's not possible.

"The FA Cup and particularly this game at home, they deserve to play. There's a lot of players in our squad who didn't have enough minutes they are working for and they deserve so much. It's a good moment."