As Nottingham Forest return to Premier League action this weekend, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is confident in his squad’s depth to compete on two fronts.
The Reds advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday night, defeating Exeter City on penalties, with the prospect of a Wembley semi-final looming. Meanwhile, Forest are third in the league and have a strong chance of qualifying for Europe.
Nuno prefers to work with a small group, and Forest did not add to their squad during the winter transfer window. However, the Portuguese’s resources may be tested after two players were injured in Devon.
Taiwo Awoniyi and Carlos Miguel were unlikely to retain their starting positions for Saturday’s game against Fulham (3pm kick-off). However, both could be ruled out of taking part at Craven Cottage.
Miguel is expected to miss a few weeks due to a hamstring injury. It means Wayne Hennessey will step up to be the capital’s backup keeper, while academy kid George Murray-Jones would most likely take on the job of third-choice for now.
In the case of Awoniyi, Forest are waiting to see if concussion protocols must be followed after he was involved in a severe collision with the Greeks. If this is the case, he will very certainly miss this weekend’s match. The front man also cracked his nose and is getting a mask fitted to accommodate the fracture.
Nuno was hesitant in his pre-match press conference on Thursday about winger Callum Hudson-Odoi’s availability for Saturday. The 24-year-old has missed the last three games due to a groin injury.
If he is totally fit, Hudson-Odoi will certainly come back into the XI against Fulham. However, there is possibly a temptation for Nuno to remain with the same lineup from the Reds’ previous league game when they thrashed Brighton and Hove Albion 7-0.
Morato’s absence in midweek suggests Nuno is considering using a back three. Against the Seagulls, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, and Morato preserved Forest’s defensive stability after conceding five goals at Bournemouth.
The Forest manager may have to make a midfield selection as well, depending on whether he goes with a three or four-man defensive. Ibrahim Sangare made his first start since returning from a hamstring injury on Tuesday night, and he assisted twice.
The 27-year-old drew attention and will be hoping to make his league debut soon. Nuno, on the other hand, will continue to tread gently with him, thus Sangare may find himself on the bench again this weekend. Danilo and Elliot Anderson performed admirably as a combination in the previous league game, so it would be unsurprising if they retained their positions against the Cottagers.
In Hudson-Odoi’s absence against Brighton, Nuno switched to Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White as attacking support for Chris Wood as he changed formation. If Hudson-Odoi is fit, Forest might return to its customary 4-2-3-1 formation.
When asked about the depth of his squad, Nuno stated ahead of this weekend: “It will be better if we keep everyone healthy and available, since I believe we can fight in both tournaments until the conclusion of the season. However, we do not function on ‘ifs’. The reality is that I believe we have a well-balanced and capable group.”
Forest’s expected XI against Fulham: Sels; Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato; Aina, Danilo, Anderson, Williams; Elanga, Wood, Gibbs-White.
