Amid the flurry of new additions for Nottingham Forest on deadline day, the arrival of Andrew Omobamidele went somewhat under the radar.

Indeed, the centre-back is yet to feature - or even make a match squad - for the Reds. But head coach Steve Cooper has hinted that might be about to change in the not too distant future.

Viewed as a bright prospect, Omobamidele made the move to the City Ground from Norwich City. He had come up through the ranks at Carrow Road and penned a five-year deal with Forest.

Cooper made a point of referencing the defender in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's clash with Luton Town. In addition to outlining how he has been pleased with the work the 21-year-old has been doing in training, he hinted a debut may not be too far away.

"I wanted to mention him," Cooper said. "When young players come to a club, you have to assess them.

"Sometimes, through all sorts of different reasons, opportunities can present themselves at different times.

"We're really happy with Andrew - that's the thing everyone needs to know. And he has settled in really well.

"I think it's only a matter of time before we see him, or give him the opportunity to play. But the timing of it might look a bit different to Murillo or Anthony (Elanga) or Danilo, when he first came in.

"But we're really happy with him. He's a hard-working, very serious professional. A good player.

"We're really looking forward to committing to him. And he is feeling the same as well."

If Omobamidele needs inspiration for how quickly situations can change, he need only look at the example of teammate Murillo. The Brazilian also put pen to paper for the Reds in the summer and had to wait for his chance - but when it came, he grasped it.

Murillo impressed against Brentford when thrown into the starting XI for his first appearance in the Garibaldi. He then built on that with a brilliant showing against Crystal Palace just before the international break.

Omobamidele is a different type of player. But for Cooper the challenge remains the same - trying to judge when is the right time to blood in a young player.

Earning an opportunity can be tough. Achieving a fairly settled side is the aim, while forcing a way into a team which has made an encouraging start to the season is not necessarily easy.

"With all the signings who came on deadline day and the fact the team has been doing OK, you can't just change it completely," Cooper explained. "It has to be a bit of a gradual process.

"We're carrying a few injuries at the moment, which doesn't help in some ways but might create a few opportunities in other ways. It's trying to balance that all the time.

"We feel like we are progressing. We feel like we are aiming towards trying to build something. But building is what we are doing, and that is going to take time. There will be ups and downs, but we've got to stick to the plan and commit to it."

He added: "You try to get the timing right with the opportunity you give these young guys. Sometimes it's about when you put them in, and sometimes it's about when you don't play them as well.

"Although he's not played, we're equally happy with Andrew (as Murillo). We're monitoring individual players at all times."