Nottingham Forest’s pre-season friendly with Birmingham City will kick off slightly later than scheduled.
The Reds are taking on the Blues this afternoon in their fifth run-out of the summer. The game at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park was due to kick off at 3pm.
However, the start time for the game has now been pushed back. The match will now kick off at 3.15pm.
A statement from the hosts said: “Due to an operational issue, today's game has been delayed by 15 minutes. The game will now kick off at 3:15pm.”
Forest are back in the UK after returning from their Portugal training camp earlier this week. The 2025/26 Premier League campaign begins in a fortnight’s time, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are stepping up their preparations with a trip to the West Midlands.
Today’s Trevor Francis Memorial Match is being played in honour of the legendary former Forest and Blues player who died in July 2023 at the age of 69. Following his £1 million move from the Blues, Francis wrote his name into Reds history by scoring the only goal of the game in the 1979 European Cup final against Malmo.
In addition to celebrating his life, this afternoon’s match will be an important run-out for Forest. They are yet to register a win and have scored only one goal in their four friendlies so far. Nuno will know there is work to do ahead of the season opener against Brentford on August 17.
Nuno has named a strong starting XI for the clash. New signing Dan Ndoye makes his first appearance for the club.
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It promises to be an exciting season ahead for Nottingham Forest.
The 2024/25 campaign proved to be a special one for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. But it could get even better for the Reds this time around.
European football will be coming to the City Ground for the first time in three decades. It will be a whole new continental adventure for Forest, and they will be eager to give it a good go.
It all means there is a lot to look forward to this coming season. With that in mind, we have produced our Nottingham Forest 2025/26 Kick-Off special, our brilliant guide to the new season.
Our reporter Sarah Clapson will waltz you through what to expect from the Reds this coming season, turn the spotlight on Nuno, run the rule over one of Forest’s key men and take a look at the club’s transfer business. Our club-by-club guide will give you the lowdown on Forest’s Premier League rivals, while you will also be able to test your knowledge with our Premier League quiz.
We will also take a look at the summer’s biggest signings in the division, check out each ground and study the managers - new and old. With a full fixture list, Nottingham Forest 2025/26 Kick-Off will get you in perfect match shape in time for the Reds’ opening day curtain-raiser at home to Brentford on August 17.
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Jair Cunha and Morato are likely to start at right and left-back respectively. Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo will complete the back line ahead of goalkeeper Matz Sels.
Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson will make up the midfield. Ndoye will join Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi in providing attacking support for forward Igor Jesus. The bench will be made up of Carlos Miguel, Aaron Bott, Neco Williams, Taiwo Awoniyi, Chris Wood, Eric da Silva Moreira, Jota Silva, Ryan Yates, Omar Richards, Willy Boly, David Carmo and Zach Abbott.
Forest starting XI: Sels; Jair, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus. Subs: Miguel, Bott, Williams, Awoniyi, Wood, Moreira, Jota, Yates, Richards, Boly, Carmo, Abbott.
What do you make of Forest's XI? Click HERE to have your say