Team news
Nottingham Forest will continue to assess centre-back Murillo, who completed the win at West Ham despite injuring his ankle but has been unable to train this week.
Callum Hudson-Odoi made his comeback from a hamstring injury as a substitute on Sunday and could return to the starting line-up against his former club, but Taiwo Awoniyi is recuperating following abdominal surgery.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca says forwards Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu are both available after recovering from injury.
Nicolas Jackson is still suspended but Jadon Sancho, who was ineligible against parent club Manchester United, is back in contention.
The Blues' goal difference means a win will realistically guarantee they qualify for next season's Champions League. A Forest victory will give them a top-five spot unless both Newcastle and Aston Villa win.
Match facts
Head-to-head
Nottingham Forest have not beaten Chelsea at home since a 2-0 victory at the City Ground in January 1997, when Stuart Pearce and Chris Bart-Williams scored.
The Reds' only win in the past 12 meetings in league and cup came at Stamford Bridge in September 2023 courtesy of a goal from Anthony Elanga (D3, L8).
This will be the 100th fixture between the clubs in all competitions.
Nottingham Forest
Forest have won 19 Premier League matches this season, one more than their combined tally in the two previous campaigns. They have never won 20 or more fixtures in a 38-game top-flight season.
They are assured of a top-seven finish, making this their most successful Premier League campaign since ending third in 1994-95.
Their total of 65 points more than doubles their figure from 2023-24, when they finished with 32 points after four were deducted for breaching profitability and sustainability rules.
Forest are vying to win consecutive top-flight matches for just the second time since a six-game winning streak ended on 6 January.
The Reds have scored the opening goal in 25 Premier League fixtures this season, a joint high with Arsenal and Liverpool.
Goalkeeper Matz Sels has failed to keep a clean sheet in Forest's previous seven league matches but has 13 shutouts overall this term – that is a joint-league high with David Raya, and equals the club record set by Mark Crossley in 1994-95 (in a 42-game season).
Chelsea
The Blues won six of their first eight away league games under Enzo Maresca (D1, L1) but have taken just six points from a possible 30 on the road since (W1, D3, L6).
The only sides to have taken fewer away points in that period are Leicester and Southampton, with five each.
Chelsea have lost their final league match in two of the past 13 campaigns (W8, D3), though they are winless in the last three seasons they have finished away from home (D1, L2).
Their starting XI in the Premier League this term has an average age of 24 years and 28 days, which is on course to be a new record by any side in a season, eclipsing Leeds in 1999-00 (24 years and 162 days).
Cole Palmer has failed to score from open play in any of his last 21 appearances in all competitions, with his only goal in this run a penalty against Liverpool on 4 May.
Only two of Palmer's 15 goals this season have been scored outside of London – strikes at Wolves in August and Southampton in December.
Related topics
Nottingham Forest
Chelsea
Premier League
Football