Nottingham Forest host Fenerbahce at the City Ground in their Europa League play-off second leg this evening
05:00, 26 Feb 2026
Nottingham Forest in training at the Nigel Doughty Academy ahead of their Europa League clash with Fenerbahce
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Nottingham Forest in training at the Nigel Doughty Academy ahead of their Europa League clash with Fenerbahce(Image: Getty)
Head coach Vitor Pereira is faced with a significant dilemma ahead of Nottingham Forest’s City Ground clash with Fenerbahce.
The Reds have a healthy 3-0 advantage over their visitors going into tonight’s Europa League play-off second leg (8pm kick-off). Even so, Pereira’s men will not be taking anything for granted as they bid to clinch a place in the last 16 of the tournament.
The newly-appointed Forest manager went strong with his starting XI in Istanbul last week - and it paid off. But after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, having stuck with the same line-up, he conceded the quick turnaround had not been easy for the players.
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So, should Pereira go strong from the off once again and try to get the job done early? Or should he freshen up his team and leave some of his big-hitters on the bench to bring on if required?
At full-back, the Reds do not have too many options to mix things up if they want to afford Neco Williams and Ola Aina a rest. Luca Netz is not in the Europa squad and Nicolo Savona is injured. Pereira could turn to his centre-backs to fill in - as Zach Abbott, Murillo and Morato have done in the past - but that would then have the knock-on effect of limiting his central defensive options.
Murillo has only just returned from a knock so he could be given a breather, with Sunday’s big Premier League match away to Brighton and Hove Albion in mind. Morato would be the likely candidate to step in, although Jair Cunha will no doubt be hoping the change in manager might lead to some minutes.
In midfield, there is no getting away from the importance of Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson for Forest. Given the pressing matter of securing top-flight survival, the pair could sit this one out and take their place among the substitutes. Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez could get a chance from the start on the banks of the Trent.
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Pereira will surely be wary of wholesale changes this evening as doing so risks disrupting momentum and potentially giving the opposition a sniff. There is a fine balance to strike.
It would come as no surprise to see a few tweaks at the top end of the pitch, though. Omari Hutchinson and Callum Hudson-Odoi have started on the flanks in the past two games, but Dan Ndoye or Dilane Bakwa are options to come in. The latter desperately needs a confidence boost from somewhere as he had a tricky cameo on Sunday.
James McAtee has played less than 10 minutes across two appearances since his superb showing against Ferencvaros. If he takes over from Morgan Gibbs-White in the No.10 role this evening, it would be a big opportunity for him.
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Up front, Igor Jesus has been in fine form in the Europa League having scored his seventh of the tournament in Turkey. It could be Lorenzo Lucca gets the nod to start this one, though, to help the Napoli loanee build up a bit of form.
Forest predicted XI: Ortega; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Yates, Dominguez; Ndoye, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi; Lucca.
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