The Nottingham Forest team to face Notts County in the Reds’ penultimate pre-season friendly has been named.
Forest have little more than a week to go before their opening Premier League clash. Preparations have been stepping up ahead of the trip to Newcastle United on August 6.
Steve Cooper’s men were beaten 1-0 by Union Berlin in Germany at the weekend. Prior to that, they had already taken on Coventry City, Burton Albion, Barnsley and Hertha Berlin.
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It is a young squad for the meeting with the Magpies, with the majority of first-team players not involved. However, midfielder Ryan Yates and striker Sam Surridge are included in the first XI, as they make their comebacks from injury.
The latter has not featured this summer, having undergone a groin operation following the play-off final at Wembley. Yates, meanwhile, has not featured since the game with the Sky Blues, due to a knee injury he suffered during the training camp in Spain.
Jordan Smith starts in goal, with potentially either a back three or a four ahead of him. A three-man defence could see Giulian Biancone, Loic Mbe Soh and Aaron Donnelly link up, while a four could have Mbe Soh and Donnelly as centre-backs, with Biancone and Richie Laryea either side.
There is the potential for a three-man midfield of Cafu, Yates and Ojeda. Or, alternatively, Forest may trial Alex Mighten as a wing-back, with Laryea on the opposite flank.
Lyle Taylor and Surridge both start up front, possibly as a three, being supported by Mighten, if a 4-3-3 is deployed. The substitutes’ bench is made up of George Shelvey, Nicky Hogarth, Dale Taylor, Billy Fewster, Julian Larsson, Oli Hammond, Ateef Konate, Justin Hanks and Zach Abbott.
Forest XI: Smith, Biancone, Mbe Soh, Donnelly, Laryea, Cafu, Yates, Ojeda, L. Taylor, Surridge, Mighten. Subs: Shelvey, Hogarth, D. Taylor, Fewster, Larsson, Hammond, Konate, Hanks, Abbott.
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