Head coach Steve Cooper must decide whether to stick or twist with his Nottingham Forest team selection for this weekend's trip to Fulham.
Having turned the City Ground into a fortress, the next challenge for the Reds is to pick up more points on the road. They haven't lost at home in the Premier League since mid-September, when they fell 3-2 to Saturday’s opponents. But although they have collected four points from their last two away games, they have still managed only six in total this season and have netted just three goals on their travels.
Cooper must weigh up whether to stick with a winning team, after Leeds United were beaten 1-0, or whether to make some changes to his line-up at Craven Cottage. Following the club’s January transfer business, he has options to consider.
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Deadline day arrival Felipe had to settle for a place among the substitutes on Sunday. He will be eager to get some minutes, while Joe Worrall will also be keen to reclaim his place, but the centre-back partnership of Willy Boly and Scott McKenna was at the heart of a well-earned clean-sheet last time out.
There is a call to be made over who starts at right-back, too. Bringing on Serge Aurier and moving Neco Williams into more of a wide midfield role on the left made a difference against Leeds. It contributed to a much better second half from the hosts, with Aurier keeping Wilfried Gnonto in check.
Likewise, Jack Colback replaced Danilo in the centre of the pitch at half-time and was excellent. January signing Danilo is young and still adjusting to English football, he has got plenty of promise but a silly booking showed he still has plenty to learn.
Jonjo Shelvey could come into contention for his debut in the capital. The former Newcastle United man has trained this week and Cooper said he was "close" to being fully recovered from a calf problem.
Gustavo Scarpa was an unused substitute against Leeds, but could play a deeper midfield role if needed. Ryan Yates, meanwhile, is continuing to recover from illness.
Cooper also has options in attack. Forest have not yet found a way to get the best out of Chris Wood, with a quiet couple of performances from the Newcastle loanee. It could be that tweaking the system would suit the front man more, but that would involve changing a set-up which otherwise seems to work.
The Reds now have Andre Ayew in the mix, following his arrival as a free agent, while Sam Surridge did a good job from off the bench. With Jesse Lingard having overcome the Achilles’ problem which forced him to pull out of the starting XI against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, Cooper could also consider utilising him alongside Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White, as he has done before.
Predicted Forest XI: Navas; Aurier, Boly, McKenna, Lodi; Freuler, Scarpa, Mangala; Gibbs-White; Johnson, Wood.
How should Forest line up against Fulham? Have your say in the comments below
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