Davies: Fringe players have key role

The likes of Dele Adebola, Luke Chambers, Joe Garner, Garath McCleary, David McGoldrick and Lewis McGugan have only had a peripheral part to play as the Reds have climbed the Championship table. However, with fatigue and injuries expected to set in in the final third of the season, Davies expects these players to come to the fore. Adebola, Garner and McGugan have been handed starting places in recent weeks and the Forest boss says he will call on them and the other fringe players regularly between now and May. "I don't like to call them fringe players but the ones who have not being playing as regularly have to come into the side now and pick up the baton," said Davies. "They have to give us top performances - eight, nine and 10-out-of-10 performances. "That is something that we have to be very careful about. When we bring them in, we have to make sure that their fitness is right. We have to make sure they are equipped to produce their best, to give us the performances we need."