Nuno Espirito Santo has named his Nottingham Forest team for what promises to be quite the game against Crystal Palace this afternoon.
Today’s Premier League match already had the makings of being a spicy affair courtesy of the saga surrounding which UEFA competition both teams would play in this season. But there is now added focus on what happens at Selhurst Park following an extraordinary few days Trentside.
Going into the game, Nuno cast doubt on his future as Reds head coach during a remarkable press conference on Friday lunchtime. The Portuguese admitted to a breakdown in his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis and suggested there was ‘no smoke without fire’ in response to online rumours he was at risk of the sack.
Nuno’s long-term position at the City Ground is unclear but he remains at the helm for a potentially-fractious meeting with the Eagles. He has named an unchanged starting XI on the back of last weekend’s opening-day 3-1 win over Brentford.
Newcomers Douglas Luiz, Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee will have to wait for their debuts. The trio have been named among the substitutes in the capital.
Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo and Neco Williams will make up the defence ahead of goalkeeper Matz Sels. Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson will link up in midfield.
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Dan Ndoye, Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi will support front man Chris Wood in attack. The bench will be made up of Angus Gunn, Morato, Luiz, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Igor Jesus, Hutchinson, Ryan Yates, McAtee and Willy Boly.
A rivalry has emerged between Forest and Palace this summer after they swapped places in this term’s European tournaments. The game has been dubbed El CASico, in reference to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) judgement that condemned Palace to the Conference League and promoted the Reds to the Europa League at their rivals’ expense.
Forest: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood. Subs: Gunn, Morato, Luiz, Kalimuendo, Jesus, Hutchinson, Yates, McAtee, Boly.
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