Head coach Steve Cooper has named his Nottingham Forest team to face Southampton in this evening’s crunch clash at the City Ground.
It is a crucial game for the Reds as they look to keep their Premier League survival hopes alive. They find themselves back in the relegation zone with four games of the season remaining, albeit it remains tight at the bottom.
Defeat at Brentford last time out was particularly frustrating, with Forest having taken the lead. But they will take encouragement from their performance, as well as the 3-1 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion in their previous home game.
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Ahead of kick-off Trentside, Brennan Johnson and Danilo were injury doubts for the Reds. Both were forced off against the Bees, with the latter suffering a suspected hamstring problem.
However, in a boost for the hosts, the duo are included in the starting XI to face the Saints. Cooper makes one change to his line-up, with Ryan Yates coming in for Joe Worrall amid a tweak to the formation.
Forest revert to a back four, with Serge Aurier, Felipe, Moussa Niakhate and Renan Lodi making up the back line ahead of goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Yates comes into a three-man midfield, alongside Danilo and Orel Mangala.
Morgan Gibbs-White will support Brennan Johnson and Taiwo Awoniyi in attack. Among the substitutes there is a return for Willy Boly, who has been sidelined since February with a hamstring problem. Wayne Hennessey, Worrall, Jesse Lingard, Harry Toffolo, Sam Surridge, Cheikhou Kouyate, Remo Freuler and Andre Ayew make up the bench.
Forest: Navas; Aurier, Felipe, Niakhate, Lodi; Danilo, Mangala, Yates; Johnson, Awoniyi, Gibbs-White. Subs: Hennessey, Worrall, Lingard, Toffolo, Surridge, Kouyate, Freuler, Boly, Ayew.
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