Latest Nottingham Forest news as new head coach Sean Dyche prepares for first game in charge of Reds
12:08, 22 Oct 2025
New Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche takes training
View Image
New Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche takes training(Image: Getty)
New Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche may well have selection concerns over a couple of players ahead of his first match in charge.
The Reds host Porto in the Europa League on Thursday night (8pm kick-off). It will be Dyche’s first game at the helm after being appointed as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement on Tuesday.
Forest go into the City Ground fixture eager to end a run of 10 games without a win in any competition. They have not tasted victory since the opening day of the season, when Nuno Espirito Santo oversaw a 3-1 triumph over Brentford.
Dyche has some big decisions to make when it comes to naming his starting XI to take on the Portuguese outfit. He will no doubt be keen to tighten up a leaky Reds defence that has not kept a clean-sheet since April.
Ahead of Thursday’s clash, Forest held an open training session at the Nigel Doughty Academy for media to attend. Striker Chris Wood and winger Dilane Bakwa were not involved.
The reasons for their absences is not yet known. Dyche will face the media in his first pre-match press conference later on today and will provide an update on the pair.
Wood has been struggling with a knee problem of late. He came off the bench on Saturday for what proved to be Postecoglou’s final game - a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. Bakwa was not included in the squad at the weekend.
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.
It was an energetic training session this morning. There was an upbeat and positive atmosphere, with an animated Dyche at the heart of that.
Players were full of smiles as they were put through their paces. Media were permitted to watch the first 15 minutes of proceedings, which included some running drills.
Murillo frequently pipped his teammates in races, while centre-back partner Nikola Milenkovic ended up falling over at one point as he tried to compete. Nicolo Savona let out a loud cheer when he came out ahead on one particular occasion.
Full-back Ola Aina remains sidelined with a hamstring issue. But aside from the Nigerian, Wood and Bakwa, everyone else was involved in the session.
Article continues below
How should Forest line up against Porto? Click HERE to have your say