BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton has insisted that it is now a “big end to the season” for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim ahead of the Nottingham Forest clash.
Manchester United currently languish in 13th place in the Premier League table and the Red Devils have only managed 10 wins from 29 league matches this season.
Ruben Amorim’s men are currently on course for their worst league finish since the Premier League’s inception back in 1992.
The Red Devils were last in action ahead of the March international break and United beat Leicester City 3-0 in the Premier League at the King Power Stadium.
United are 12 points behind fourth-place Chelsea and they are at real risk of missing out on a place in Europe next season amid their bumpy 2024-25 campaign.
However, the Red Devils remain in the Europa League and Amorim’s side will resume their European campaign in the quarter-finals against Lyon this month.
The Europa League is United’s best chance of securing entry to the Champions League in the 2025-26 campaign and for Amorim to lift major silverware.
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Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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Chris Sutton raises his concern for Nottingham Forest ahead of Man Utd match in the Premier League
Nottingham Forest have been flying high in the 2024-25 season under manager Nuno Espirito Santo and they are currently third in the Premier League table.
Nuno’s men are four points adrift from second-place Arsenal and 16 points behind league leaders Liverpool with only nine Premier League matches remaining.
Forest have won two of their last five league matches and Chris Sutton has offered his two cents about the potential absence of New Zealand striker Chris Wood.
Speaking in his BBC Sport column ahead of the Manchester United match, Sutton said: “I am concerned how Nottingham Forest will cope without Chris Wood up front if he is out injured.
“At the moment it is not clear how serious his problem is.
“Forest made quite a few changes against Brighton in the FA Cup over the weekend, and still got through without ‘the Wood-chopper,’ but they really need him back as soon as possible.
“Speaking as a Forest fan, it’s especially annoying that he has picked up this injury while on international duty.
“New Zealand have got an excellent cricket and rugby union team and I wish them every success at football, but do they really need Wood to get through their World Cup qualification campaign against the likes of Fiji and New Caledonia?
“I’d argue they don’t need him, and that Wood is better than that. If I was from New Zealand, I’d probably have won about 700 caps, and there are greater priorities for Wood, which are to win the FA Cup and get Forest into next season’s Champions League.”
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Chris Sutton singles out Bruno Fernandes amid his Nottingham Forest vs Man Utd scoreline prediction
Bruno Fernandes has been in a rich vein of form for United manager Ruben Amorim in recent weeks and Sutton admitted that he could be the difference-maker.
However, the BBC Sport pundit claimed that Bruno Fernandes is United’s “best hope of getting a positive result” at City Ground against Premier League side Forest.
“It will be harder for Forest without him, but I still think they can repeat their win at Old Trafford in December,” Sutton continued.
“Saturday’s FA Cup win over Brighton was not exactly a thriller, but as we have seen plenty of times from Forest already this season, they are not here to entertain – they are here to get the job done.
“As for Manchester United, it is a big end to the season for their boss Ruben Amorim.
“Bruno Fernandes has carried them a bit recently in the league, and he is their best hope of getting a positive result here.
“I am not sure either side will be too bothered about having the ball, but Forest fans are happy for them to sit deep and play on the counter, even when they are at home, and they are really good at it.”
Sutton revealed that he is backing Nuno’s men to clinch all three Premier League points on Tuesday evening and he predicted a 1-0 scoreline for Forest.