Head coach Steve Cooper has named his Nottingham Forest team to face Aston Villa in this evening’s crunch clash.
The Reds are back at the City Ground tonight, aiming to end a five-match losing run. They go into the game on the back of a 4-0 thumping at Leicester City which left them bottom of the Premier League table.
Cooper’s job had come under threat after that defeat to the Foxes. But, with fans having made their support for the Welshman clear, last week ended with him signing a new deal.
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Nevertheless, there is still pressure to spark an upturn in fortunes. And Cooper makes five changes to the side which fell at the King Power Stadium.
Forest stick with four at the back ahead of goalkeeper Dean Henderson, with Steve Cook and Scott McKenna retaining their places. But Cooper changes both full-backs, bringing in Serge Aurier and Harry Toffolo for Neco Williams and Renan Lodi.
The Reds look set to play with three across the centre of the pitch, with Ryan Yates and Remo Freuler coming in, to join Cheikhou Kouyate in the centre of the pitch. It will be three up top, too, with Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White linking up with Emmanuel Dennis.
Wayne Hennessey, Joe Worrall, Orel Mangala, Williams, Taiwo Awoniyi, Jesse Lingard, Lewis O’Brien, Sam Surridge and Willy Boly make up the list of substitutes.
Forest: Henderson; Aurier, Cook, McKenna, Toffolo; Kouyate, Yates, Freuler; Johnson, Dennis, Gibbs-White. Subs: Hennessey, Worrall, Mangala, Williams, Awoniyi, Lingard, O’Brien, Surridge, Boly.
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