Latest Nottingham Forest news as Ange Postecoglou's Reds prepare to face the Blues at the City Ground
11:24, 18 Oct 2025Updated 11:29, 18 Oct 2025
Nottingham Forest head coach Ange Postecoglou
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Nottingham Forest head coach Ange Postecoglou(Image: Getty)
Head coach Ange Postecoglou has named his Nottingham Forest team to face Chelsea in this afternoon’s crunch Premier League clash.
It is a big game on the banks of the Trent, both for the Reds and for Postecoglou. The 60-year-old is under pressure after failing to register a win in his first seven matches in charge.
Forest’s poor form has led to other managers being linked with the City Ground job as owner Evangelos Marinakis weighs up whether to make a change. It is understood the Greek businessman is likely to attach significant weight to how the hosts perform today as he considers his options.
The Reds are 17th in the table ahead of kick-off Trentside. They suffered a third successive defeat in all competitions prior to the international break when they fell 2-0 at Newcastle United.
The two-week hiatus at least provided an opportunity for some of Forest’s walking wounded to recover, with Postecoglou having been without some key players in recent weeks. Murillo, Douglas Luiz and Oleksandr Zinchenko all return from injury to face the Blues.
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Postecoglou has made five changes to his starting XI from the loss at St James’ Park. Murillo, Luiz, Ibrahim Sangare, Zinchenko and Taiwo Awoniyi have come in for Jair Cunha, Nicolo Savona, Ryan Yates, Chris Wood and Dan Ndoye.
Forest look set to stick with a back three, made up of Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo and Morato ahead of goalkeeper Matz Sels. Zinchenko and Neco Williams will take up the wing-back positions.
Luiz, Sangare and Elliot Anderson will make up the midfield. Morgan Gibbs-White will provide attacking support for surprise starter Awoniyi in what could be similar to a 3-5-2 formation. The bench will be made up of John Victor, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Wood, Ndoye, Nicolas Dominguez, Igor Jesus, Yates, Jair and Savona.
Forest: Sels; Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato; Williams, Luiz, Sangare, Anderson, Zinchenko; Gibbs-White, Awoniyi. Subs: John, Hudson-Odoi, Wood, Ndoye, Dominguez, Jesus, Yates, Jair, Savona.
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