An impressive summer window has left Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo with a very strong squad but also with a selection headache.
The Portuguese has been backed in the transfer market by owner Evangelos Marinakis, to the tune of roughly £180 million with 13 new signings. Nuno might have taken issue with some of the club’s summer business - including being vocal about the slow pace of it - but there can be no question about the quality he has at his disposal.
The challenge now for Nuno is to get a tune out of his dressing room. The Reds will compete on four fronts this term and will want to give it a good go in all of them.
Given the strength in depth Forest have, players will know they have to perform if they are going to keep their place in the team. Rotation will come into play as they navigate the different competitions, but Nuno will no doubt also begin to form an opinion about his best XI.
There will be no overtaking Matz Sels as the club’s No.1, even though John Victor and Angus Gunn will be eager to keep him on his toes. Last term’s Golden Glove winner will be a key figure once again as the Reds aim to continue on an upward curve.
Likewise, there is little doubt about Forest’s first-choice central defensive partnership. Nuno has sufficient resources to be able to field a back three, if he wishes to, but Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo will surely be mainstays of the team once again.
Full-back is an interesting one when it comes to picking the Reds’ strongest line-up, though. Neco Williams has started the campaign well and has been the model of consistency for some time, but Ola Aina hasn’t quite been at his usual level of late.
Williams and Aina probably still have the edge in the pecking order at present, but they now have others pushing to usurp them in the line-up. Nicolo Savona will hope to get an opportunity while Oleksandr Zinchenko has plenty of experience and can also operate in a few different roles.
The selection dilemmas get trickier further up the pitch. Forest want to be flexible with their formation but sticking with 4-2-3-1 has been Nuno’s preference for the time being.
In that system, Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson have started the first three games of the season in midfield. Douglas Luiz has had to settle for watching from the bench since his arrival on loan from Juventus.
Sangare didn’t have the best of games against West Ham United, though, and Luiz has previously shown what he has to offer in the Premier League. Where the latter can be most effective is up for debate, but if he reaches the standard he has in the past he can be a big asset in the Garibaldi.
Dilane Bakwa, too, has the potential to make a significant impact for the Reds. He has produced double-figure goal contributions in every full season he has played in senior French football.
Dan Ndoye has made a good start in English football on that front but his overall performances have been a little bit mixed so far. Whoever gets the nod, there is certainly fierce competition for the wide places.
It is the same for the No.10 spot and up front. Morgan Gibbs-White cannot afford to drop standards with James McAtee breathing down his neck. And if Chris Wood has an off day, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Igor Jesus will be ready to step in.
Nuno’s strongest Forest XI after the transfer window: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Luiz, Anderson; Bakwa, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
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