Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Ange Postecoglou’s Reds prepare for Europa League clash with Real Betis
Sarah Clapson is Nottingham Forest correspondent for NottinghamshireLive and the Nottingham Post. She has covered the Reds since 2015, having joined the Post the previous year. Being involved in the coverage of everything from Evangelos Marinakis’ takeover of the club to Forest winning promotion at Wembley, she has followed the team up and down the country, as well as abroad, to report on the latest goings-on.
Nottingham Forest’s Igor Jesus (right) replaces Chris Wood against Burnley(Image: PA)
Ange Postecoglou has some big decisions to make as he considers his team for Nottingham Forest’s Europa League opener.
The Reds get their European campaign up and running with a trip to Spain to take on Real Betis on Wednesday night (8pm kick-off). Postecoglou is still searching for his first win as Forest coach but knows what it takes to win this particular competition, having done so with Tottenham Hotspur last season.
His team go into the game on the back of claiming their first Premier League point under the 60-year-old. Postecoglou felt there were plenty of positives to take from Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Burnley.
His challenge now is to build on that performance and to manage his squad to cope with a packed fixture list. The quick turnaround in games, with another big one to come on Saturday courtesy of a visit from Sunderland, may well mean some rotation is required.
Centre-back Murillo is expected to be available to face Betis after missing the past two games with a knock. Fellow Brazilian Morato earned praise from Postecoglou for his display at Turf Moor but is still likely to make way if his teammate is fit.
The Reds were waiting until after the weekend’s game to make a decision over whether to submit a change to their Europa League squad. Ola Aina had originally been included in the list but is now facing at least three months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
Last week, Postecoglou said the club would consider utilising a new UEFA rule permitting the temporary replacement of an injured outfield player. Oleksandr Zinchenko is the most likely replacement for Aina to cover at full-back, having missed the cut when the squad was named.
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Nottingham Forest get their UEFA Europa League campaign underway as they face Real Betis on September 24. Fans can watch the game on the TNT Sports Prime Video channel.
In midfield, Postecoglou will consider whether Douglas Luiz is fit enough to start three games in quick succession. The Juventus loanee had not started a game since February prior to being included in the XI for last Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Swansea City. Ibrahim Sangare could be restored to the line-up as an alternative.
As with Zinchenko, Omari Hutchinson was not included in the original squad list. But even if the £37.5 million man does not benefit from Aina’s absence, Postecoglou still has a call to make out wide.
Callum Hudson-Odoi was among the substitutes in Lancashire as Dan Ndoye and Dilane Bakwa were handed the starting berths on the flanks. Ndoye didn’t have the best of games, though, so a change could certainly be made in that department.
Likewise, the Reds boss might shuffle his pack up front. Igor Jesus and Arnaud Kalimuendo both looked bright from off the bench at the weekend. The former almost bagged a late winner and could be pushing Chris Wood for a place in the XI.
Predicted Forest XI (assuming Zinchenko is added to the squad): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Zinchenko; Luiz, Anderson; Bakwa, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus.
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