Latest Nottingham Forest news as Sean Dyche’s Reds prepare to face Ferencvaros in Europa League clash.
05:00, 29 Jan 2026Updated 07:08, 29 Jan 2026
Nottingham Forest’s Nikola Milenkovic (right) and Murillo (left) in training.(Image: Getty)
Securing a top-eight finish might prove beyond Nottingham Forest, but the club’s sense of ambition in the Europa League has certainly not been curtailed.
The Reds host Ferencvaros on Thursday evening (8pm kick-off) in their final league phase fixture. They need to win and hope other results go their way to secure passage straight through to the round of 16.
In all likelihood, though, Sean Dyche’s squad will have to navigate a two-legged play-off to reach the last 16 of the competition. But there remains plenty to play for against their Hungarian opponents as finishing ninth to 16th in the table would mean a home tie for the second leg.
“This club is ambitious,” said centre-back Nikola Milenkovic in a pre-match press conference ahead of the midweek clash. “We have very big ambitions.
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“For me, it’s always to go game by game and see how far we can go. We don’t put limits in front of us and we just take it step by step.
“We want to enjoy every game in this competition because, after 30 years, it’s a pleasure to be here and playing in front of our fans in Europe. Let’s enjoy it and see how far we can go.”
This has been Forest’s first continental adventure for three decades. Milenkovic also knows what it takes to go far in Europe, having reached two finals during his time at Italian side Fiorentina.
“In the knockout phase the games will be tougher and against opponents with more quality,” said the centre-back. “We will be prepared and will see who we can get in the draw.
“Home advantage is a big thing, and we need to give our very best to finish as high in the table as possible. I have played Ferencvaros twice before, they have a lot of European experience so I have big respect for them.”
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Following last week’s 1-0 loss to Braga in Portugal, to have any hope of finishing in the top-eight Forest first of all need to claim three points on Thursday. They would also require Real Betis to lose at home to Feyenoord, Porto being beaten by Rangers, along with Genk, Red Star Belgrade, PAOK, Stuttgart, Celta Vigo and Bologna all failing to take three points.
“It’s a long shot,” Dyche said about his team’s top-eight chances. “We approach it like any other game, we want to win it.
“If you can get a home game in the second leg (of the play-offs), then it is classed favourable. We want to win, we want to keep that feeling we have had in the league programme (after beating Brentford last Sunday).
“It’s about delivery on the day. The squad mentality has been very good.
“We want to do well in this competition. The Premier League still edges it but, on the European side of things, of course that’s important, as well.”
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