Key events
Fabian Hurzeler: “There is always one team that surprises everyone – this season it is Nottingham Forest,” said the Brighton manager in his pre-match press conference. “You see their individual quality, they have a lot, players who have played a long time in the Premier League. For some experts it’s not surprising, but they’re getting the results and are always finding a way to win games.”
Those teams: Following last weekend’s uncharacteristic defensive horror show, Nuno Espirito Santo switches to a back five, bringing in Morato to play alongside Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic in the heart of Forest’s defence. Danilo is back in the side for his first start in the side since recovering from a broken ankle he suffered on the opening day of the season. Ryan Yates and Jota Silva make way.
Kaoru Mitoma starts for Brighton, who rejected two bids for their Japanese winger from Saudi side Al-Nassr during the week. Jack Hinshelwood, Yankuba Minteh and Georginio Rutter come into the starting 11, with Carlos Baleba, Brajan Gruda and Yasin Ayari dropping out. Expected to leave Brighton on loan or a permanent move before Monday, Irish striker Evan Ferguson starts on the bench after recovering from his latest ankle injury.
Nottingham Forest v Brighton line-ups
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Morato, Anderson, Danilo, Gibbs-White, Elanga, Wood
Subs: Miguel, Sangare, Awoniyi, Dominguez, Moreno, Jota Silva, Yates, Sosa, Boly
Brighton: Verbruggen, Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Lamptey, Hinshelwood, Minteh, Mitoma, Joao Pedro, Rutter, Welbeck
Subs: Rushworth, Webster, Gruda, Adingra, Gomez, Ferguson, O’Riley, McConville, Knight
Early team news
At a point in the season when some top flight teams are decimated by injury, Nottingham Forest are in extremely rude health. Their in-form winger winger Callum Hudson-Odoi remains sidelined with the groin injury that kept him out of his side’s defeat at the hands of Bournemouth last weekend, but Ibrahim Sangare, has been passed fit to join the matchday squad after five months out with a hamstring tear.
Brighton defenders Igor Julio and Ferdi Kadioglu are both out, along with James Milner, Mats Wieffer and Solly March. Reserve goalkeeper Jason Steele is also unavailable as he is carrying a shoulder injury. Evan Ferguson is expected to take his place on the bench despite Brighton making him available for a move elsewhere before the end of the transfer window.
Nuno Espirito Santo: “We have to react, it’s obvious after a bad performance,” said Forest’s manager of the shellacking his side endured at the hands of Bournemouth.
“There is no other way, we have to react, perform better, we have to be a better team. It’s just back to the basics, back to the things we do well, recognising our strengths and our weaknesses and try to perform better because it was a bad performance.
“We have to perform much better, we have to be solid, we have to play better football. We were not accurate, we missed a lot of passes. So many things to improve. Big challenge ahead of us.”
Premier League: Nottingham Forest v Brighton
Forest welcome Brighton to the City Ground, hoping to prove their slaughter at the hands of Bournemouth last weekend was nothing more than an anomaly in an otherwise excellent season for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. Brighton are also hoping to bounce back from defeat against Everton that came on the back of three consecutive wins and an unbeaten run of seven games in all competitions.
With both sides aiming for European qualification, the stakes are high by the River Trent and if this game is as entertaining as the bad-tempered as September’s corresponding fixture in which both managers and Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White saw red, we should be in for a treat. Kick-off is at 12.30pm (GMT) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
