Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies is unsure whether long-term injury victim Julian Bennett will play this season.

The defender has yet to feature since Davies took charge in January after suffering knee ligament damage on Boxing Day last year.

Bennett has resumed light training but the 24-year-old remains some way off a return to first-team contention.

"Julian Bennett has got a long way to go. It's difficult to say whether he will be back because it is too early but the lad is jogging and twisting and turning and doing things like that at the moment," said Davies. "However, he's still running with a clear indication that he has still got a bit of work to do.

"We are quietly confident that as time goes on he will get better but it's very difficult for him to feature this season as I can't see him really starting until December, he then needs a few weeks' what you might call pre-season training and then a few games in the reserves.

"If anything I would think it would be February-March time if he's lucky - if he's lucky. But as for this season, I wouldn't like to bet on that."