Dan Ndoye ready to explode at Nottingham Forest, his latest stats speak volumes
Dan Ndoye has proven that he deserves to keep his place in the Nottingham Forest starting eleven while on international duty.
Ndoye is heading back to the East Midlands after a hugely successful international break with Switzerland.
The 25-year-old's early-season struggles at Forest have seen him come in for some criticism from supporters.
He has been unable to put a consistent run of strong performances together since joining the club from Bologna last year.
Ndoye may have been facing the axe for Forest's upcoming clash against Crystal Palace, but Oliver Glasner must continue to trust him after he found form for his country.
The versatile winger capped off a strong spell away from the City Ground with another standout Nations League performance on Tuesday.
Dan Ndoye deserves Nottingham Forest trust after Switzerland exploits
Ndoye only registered three goal contributions for the Reds last season, going on to be linked away over the summer with the likes of Roma and Inter Milan interested.
Glasner pushed to retain his services after arriving at the City Ground, and he has started all five of their league games so far, scoring once and failing to provide an assist.
The international break provided Ndoye with the chance to build more confidence in his own abilities, and he has taken that opportunity with real aplomb.
He picked up two assists against Scotland on 29 September, then scored the winner against Slovenia on Saturday and put in his best showing of the break as the Swiss hosted North Macedonia on Tuesday.
The Forest forward bagged a brace in their 3-0 win, while completing the most dribbles (4) and taking the joint-most touches (6) in the opposition box of any player.
He also created two chances and won more ground duels (7) of anyone on the pitch, while also drawing two fouls.
He has found his best form since joining Forest over the last three weeks, and if Glasner was tempted to axe him against Palace, he should change his mind ahead of Sunday's clash.
Swiss media loving Ndoye as Forest return beckons
Ndoye could become a huge asset to Glasner from now on, particularly as he searches for a reaction to their loss against Coventry last time out.
His international stats are impressive, and further praise from national media proves that he should not be dropped by the boss anytime soon.
Reviewing his performance against North Macedonia, Swiss outlet Homme Du Match said: “An interesting encounter thanks to his activity and his ability to bring depth. He was rewarded in the 82nd minute with the third Swiss goal after a very good job with Manzambi, concluding a much better-controlled second period.”
While Watson praised him even further as they said: "He gets himself into tight spots whilst dribbling in the opposition’s penalty area. It all turns out well in the end, as he scores to make it 3–0 in the 81st minute."