Head coach Steve Cooper has named his Nottingham Forest team to face Manchester City in this afternoon’s big Premier League clash.
The Reds take on the reigning champions having not lost at home in the league since mid-September, when they were beaten by Fulham. Ahead of kick-off, they are 14th in the table, six points above the relegation zone.
However, Cooper is having to contend with a significant injury list which saw two more players added to it last weekend. Scott McKenna and Willy Boly were forced off with seven minutes played of the 2-0 defeat at Craven Cottage, after going to ground within seconds of each other.
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Both are now facing lengthy spells on the sidelines due to hamstring problems, with Boly expected to be out for more than three months and his teammate likely to be missing for six weeks. With Moussa Niakhate not yet available for selection as he continues his own recovery from a hamstring issue, Forest are short on centre-backs.
Deadline day signing Felipe came off the bench to make his debut in the capital, forming a new-look partnership with Joe Worrall. The duo are in from the start at the City Ground as Cooper makes five changes to his XI.
Serge Aurier and Renan Lodi complete the back line, ahead of goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Jonjo Shelvey also made his first appearance for the club last week, and his impressive display has earned him a place in the line-up, alongside Remo Freuler, Jack Colback and Danilo.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson will provide the attacking threat. Making up the substitutes’ bench will be Wayne Hennessey, Orel Mangala, Neco Williams, Harry Toffolo, Sam Surridge, Emmanuel Dennis, Gustavo Scarpa, Andre Ayew and Chris Wood.
Forest: Navas; Aurier, Worrall, Felipe, Lodi; Shelvey, Freuler, Colback, Danilo; Gibbs-White, Johnson. Subs: Hennessey, Mangala, Williams, Toffolo, Surridge, Dennis, Scarpa, Ayew, Wood.
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