Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Sean Dyche's Reds draw 0-0 with Sturm Graz in Europa League showdown days before crunch Leeds United clash
21:05, 06 Nov 2025Updated 21:13, 06 Nov 2025
Morgan Gibbs White misses a penalty for Nottingham Forest against Sturm Graz
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Morgan Gibbs White misses a penalty for Nottingham Forest against Sturm Graz(Image: Jure Makovec/Getty Images)
Sunday’s enormous game with Leeds United was no doubt at the forefront of Sean Dyche’s mind when it came to naming his Nottingham Forest line-up in Austria.
Injuries and unavailability limited his choices somewhat but he also clearly wanted to give some players a rest. The Reds have had a hectic programme as they navigate the challenges of European football.
Sturm Graz away, then, was going to be a test of Forest’s squad depth. It said much that Dyche named a number of academy players on the bench and brought on two defenders in the closing stages. Attacking options to try to bag a late winner were in short supply, with Dan Ndoye having already entered the fray.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, Douglas Luiz, Chris Wood, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Dilane Bakwa, Angus Gunn and long-term absentee Ola Aina were all ruled out with injury. Igor Jesus was suspended and others such as Taiwo Awoniyi, Jair Cunha and Omari Hutchinson are not in the club’s Europa League squad.
The Reds looked leggy when they lost to Bournemouth after their last Europa League fixture (victory over Porto in Dyche’s first match in charge). It was no surprise the head coach shuffled his pack at the Merkur Arena as he clearly does not want a repeat when the Whites visit the City Ground this weekend.
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He made seven changes in total and opted to leave out Elliot Anderson entirely. Other key men such as Matz Sels, Dan Ndoye and Murillo were among the substitutes.
This was a big opportunity for some players – the likes of John Victor, James McAtee and Arnaud Kalimuendo. But scoring goals has been an issue for the Reds this season, and that was still the case at the Merkur Arena.
The addition of European games was always going to be a test for Forest this season. They will be frustrated not to have got the win against Graz - particularly given the number of chances they had.
The hosts certainly seemed the happier of the two sides at the final whistle. But this could still be a valuable point on the road for the Reds, with a confidence-boosting clean-sheet to boot.
Dyche referred to the Premier League as Forest's 'bread and butter' as they have a fight on their hands to climb up the table. Now it is all eyes on Sunday to see whether his decision to save some players for Leeds can pay off.
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