Nottingham Forest host Porto in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final at the City Ground on Thursday
12:02, 15 Apr 2026
Nottingham Forest players train ahead of their Europa League quarter-final second leg against Porto
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Nottingham Forest players train ahead of their Europa League quarter-final second leg against Porto(Image: Getty)
Midfielder Elliot Anderson was absent from Nottingham Forest’s training session this morning (Wednesday) ahead of their Europa League quarter-final clash.
The Reds welcome Porto to the City Ground on Thursday (8pm kick-off) for the second leg of their last-eight tie. The first leg in Portugal last week finished 1-1 so there is all to play for on the banks of the Trent.
Head coach Vitor Pereira will likely rotate his squad, as he has done in previous European fixtures. The Portuguese will no doubt have an eye on Sunday’s big Premier League match at home to Burnley.
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It remains to be seen whether Anderson will be available to face Porto. The England international was not involved as his teammates were put through their paces at the Nigel Doughty Academy.
Anderson missed out due to personal reasons and it is not known whether he might also be absent on Thursday night. Pereira is expected to address the player’s availability when he faces the media in his pre-match press conference this afternoon.
Injured duo Willy Boly and John Victor did some work separately to the main group as they continue their recoveries. Centre-back Boly may well have played his last game for the club given he is out of contract in the summer and was not included in the Reds’ revised squads for the second half of the campaign. Goalkeeper John is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a knee problem.
There was no sign of full-back Nicolo Savona at the open training session attended by members of the media. The Italian is also unlikely to be involved in the final games of this term having undergone knee surgery.
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It could be a season-defining week for Forest on home turf. They made a positive start to it by drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa on Sunday.
Neco Williams’ equaliser ensured Pereira’s men claimed a point against high-flying Villa. With six games remaining, the Reds are three points above the relegation zone.
Pereira has been clear that retaining the club’s top-flight status is his priority. But there is no doubt Forest would love to reach the semi-finals in Europe, where they could potentially face Villa once again.
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