Latest Nottingham Forest news as Sean Dyche's Reds prepare to face Manchester United at the City Ground
15:31, 30 Oct 2025
Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood
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Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood(Image: Getty)
Nottingham Forest are expected to be without five players for Saturday’s key clash with Manchester United.
Getting the Reds back to winning ways is the priority for new head coach Sean Dyche in his first home Premier League match. After beating Porto in the Europa League a few days after his appointment last week, Forest fell to a 2-0 defeat away to Bournemouth on Sunday.
They have not tasted victory in the league since the opening day of the season, when Nuno Espirito Santo was still in charge. Ange Postecoglou picked up just one point during his 39-day tenure, with a disappointing run of results leaving the Reds in the relegation zone.
Striker Chris Wood (wood), winger Dilane Bakwa (knock), third-choice goalkeeper Angus Gunn (knee) and full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko (groin) have all been ruled out of this weekend’s City Ground match (3pm kick-off). Defender Ola Aina remains a long-term absentee following hamstring surgery but is making good progress in his recovery.
“I have made a note of them because we have got a couple of knocks,” Dyche said in his pre-match press conference. “Angus Gunn hasn’t been playing but is part of the squad, but he has opened up his knee ligaments.
“Woody is going to be possible for the Leeds game (a week on Sunday). He won’t make this one. We will have to see how that goes.
“Ola is making good progress. Zinchenko is a no at the moment, unfortunately, and is going to be a bit longer than we thought.
“Bakwa is still a no but is making good progress. I’m having to read them off a list so I don’t forget them.
“We’re hoping no more occur, that’s for sure. A few knocks but nothing too serious at the moment.”
Dyche has had a full week on the training ground with those players who are fit. After a busy first week in the job, the lack of a midweek fixture was welcomed.
“We are still changing a lot. The players have been really good this week and we have added in some new work with them today,” he said.
“The idea of cramming is more about the risk and reward. You don’t want to keep the players there (at training) too long because we have got a lot of games coming up. It’s informing them enough so they can make sense of it and apply it but not too much that they can’t remember it.
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“It is always a tricky one and always a fine line. We are trying to add in lots of different things, not just tactics. It could be about set-pieces, psychology or dietary requirements.
“It is all within our style, of course, I need to make that clear. I never question other managers but I do question our way of working and how we can imprint that onto the group.
“It is an ongoing process. It is still going to take a little while until we get everyone on board with it and pointing in the right direction.
“It is more in the sense of understanding it. I must make clear they are working really hard, so there is no problem with that. It’s just the understanding of what we want and the detail of how they can deliver it.
“That is an ongoing process, but it always is. It certainly is at this point because we are cramming a lot into them. They are doing great with it and are trying to apply it.”
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