Nottingham Forest host Fenerbahce at the City Ground this evening in the second leg of their Europa League play-off
18:55, 26 Feb 2026Updated 19:02, 26 Feb 2026
Nottingham Forest head coach Vitor Pereira
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Nottingham Forest head coach Vitor Pereira (Image: Getty)
Head coach Vitor Pereira has named his Nottingham Forest team to face Fenerbahce in tonight’s Europa League play-off second leg.
The Reds go into this evening’s game at the City Ground with a healthy 3-0 advantage over their Turkish opponents. It puts them firmly in the driving seat to clinch a place in the last 16 of the tournament, but Pereira has warned his charges not to take anything for granted.
Goals from Murillo, Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White secured a comfortable victory for Forest in Istanbul last week. The win had made it a dream start for Pereira in his first match in charge.
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The Reds followed that up with a positive performance in their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at the weekend. Balancing the demands of a Premier League relegation fight with aiming to go far in Europe remains the challenge for Pereira, and he admitted on Sunday the quick turnaround had not been easy for his players.
The Forest boss had stuck with the same starting XI against the reigning league champions. But he had been clear ahead of today’s match, changes would be required.
Pereira has made six changes to his line-up from the weekend. Jair Cunha, Morato, Ryan Yates, James McAtee, Nicolas Dominguez and Lorenzo Lucca are in for Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Ibrahim Sangare, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Igor Jesus.
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One of Forest’s centre-backs looks set to play at full-back, although it could be Pereira opts to line up with a three-man defence. Jair, Morato and Murillo have all played full-back before.
It could be a four of Neco Williams, Jair, Morato and Murillo ahead of goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. Yates looks set to line up alongside Elliot Anderson in midfield.
Dominguez could play on the left, as he has done previously, or he could join Yates and Anderson in a three-man midfield. Either way, McAtee and Omari Hutchinson will help to provide attacking support for front man Lucca.
Pereira has some strong options on the bench, if required. Angus Gunn, Keehan Willows, Sangare, Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Dan Ndoye, Jesus, Dilane Bakwa, Milenkovic, Aina and Zach Abbott make up the list of substitutes.
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Forest: Ortega; Williams, Jair, Morato, Murillo; Yates, Anderson; Hutchinson, McAtee, Dominguez; Lucca. Subs: Gunn, Willows, Sangare, Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Jesus, Bakwa, Milenkovic, Aina, Abbott.
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