With the Premier League approaching the busy festive period, here’s our Nottingham Forest Vs Ipswich preview, prediction, team news and predicted lineups ahead of Saturday’s match.
Nottingham Forest Vs Ipswich Preview
An injury-hit Nottingham Forest were swept aside ruthlessly at Arsenal last weekend. A pair of superb strikes from Bukayo Saka and Thomas Partey were followed by young Ethan Nwaneri’s first Premier League goal to seal a 3-0 win for the Gunners.
Missing talismanic duo Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White in the starting lineup, Forest looked bereft of confidence and ideas.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Nevertheless, they have still made a strong start to the campaign – which has taken many by surprise.
With five wins and 19 points from their opening 12 games, Forest are seventh in the table, and only four points below second-placed Manchester City.
Standing between them and a return to winning ways are newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
The Tractor Boys have drawn six times in 12 games – more than any other Premier League side – and find themselves on nine points.
In the relegation zone only on goal difference, Ipswich have been unlucky on a number of occasions. They held Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United to a 1-1 draw in the Portuguese manager’s first game in charge, and will pose Forest plenty of problems.
Not least of all through former Man City striker Liam Delap. The Etihad academy graduate has been a fantastic signing for the Suffolk side, and leads the scoring with six so far in all competitions.
Kieran McKenna’s men may have only picked up one victory so far, but they have given plenty of the league’s top sides a headache.
However, Ipswich have not won at Nottingham Forest in the new millennium. In a 14-game winless run, you’d have to go back to 1999 to find the last time Ipswich were victorious at the City Ground.
The two sides last met competitively in 2019, where it finished 1-1 at Portman Road in the Championship.
Taking on the Tractor Boys this weekend. 🚜 pic.twitter.com/nj0CgfxlLw
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) November 27, 2024
Nottingham Forest Vs Ipswich Team News
Chris Wood’s long return journey from international duty with New Zealand saw him only make the bench at Arsenal. But a recurring ankle injury picked up against Chelsea kept Morgan Gibbs-White out altogether.
Both will hope to play this weekend, but the latter remains a doubt. As do Elliot Anderson (foot) and Anthony Elanga (shoulder), with both needing late assessments.
Taiwo Awoniyi will likely drop out for the returning Wood after making little impact last weekend.
Danilo (ankle) and Ibrahim Sangare (hamstring) are both out.
For Ipswich, Ben Johnson, Kalvin Phillips, Jacob Grieves and Nathan Broadhead are all doubts.
McKenna is definitely missing Janoi Donacien (ankle), George Hirst (knee) and Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles).
It’s likely that the manager will name as close to an unchanged side as possible after the draw at United.
The only potential alteration could be the returning Greaves for Cameron Burgess – fitness depending.
Nottingham Forest Vs Ipswich Predicted Lineups
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Yates, Dominguez; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Silva; Wood
Ipswich (4-2-3-1): Muric; Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis; Cajuste, Morsy; Burns, Hutchinson, Szmodics; Delap
Nottingham Forest Vs Ipswich Prediction
While they have held plenty of team this season, Ipswich have struggled to land that killer blow. The Tractor Boys have leaked a lot of goals and look vulnerable defensively.
Forest have suffered a recent wobble after their blistering start. But with Wood back in the team, we think they’ll have enough to get the job done on home turf.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Ipswich
