Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies believes that his side missed the influence of midfielder Henri Lansbury against Preston North End on Friday night.

Lansbury sat out the match after picking up his 10th yellow card of the campaign last week, and after watching his side record a goalless draw against the League One side, Davies insisted that Lansbury's absence from the fixture was "key".

The 49-year-old is quoted by The Express as saying: "We lacked flair and creativity and guile, and probably got what we deserved.

"I have no doubt that Henri Lansbury was key. He is a massive loss to us. This is a player who is performing very well."

The former Arsenal man has scored seven times in 26 appearances for Forest this season.