CHRIS Cohen will start the season as Nottingham Forest's first choice left-back, Billy Davies revealed today.

Julian Bennett is still not fully match sharp after 20 months on the sidelines with a career-threatening knee injury.

And, while Aston Villa defender Nicky Shorey remains a target, the former England man is still holding out for a move to another Premier League club.

Cohen has previously admitted his preference for a midfield role.

But Davies says Forest will have little choice.

"It is a big ask for Julian, because he has not played for 20 months," said Davies.

"But we have a great player to fill this position, in the form of Chris Cohen.

"He gets paid to play for Forest and he will be playing at left-back.

"He is what we have got. He is what we have available to us.

"He has played at left-back during our pre-season games and he will continue to do so.

"Unless things change, whether Chris likes it or not, he will have to play in that position and do a good job for us, as he is capable of doing."

Davies says Cohen understands the situation.

"I have spoken to him about it and he does understand," said the Scot. "There is a lack of players in that position.

"These are the resources we have, this is the situation we are in and he will have to play there.

"Julian Bennett has not played there for 20 months at a competitive level.

"You can't jump from that kind of spell on the sidelines to playing in the Championship.

"He can play in pre-season games, to get him up to a level.

"But going away to some of the clubs we will face in the Championship is a different thing altogether.

"I made it clear to Julian at the end of last season that the objective would be to get him out on loan until January.

"Then we will bring him back and assess his position as a Nottingham Forest player."