Nottingham Forest have a big match at the City Ground this afternoon as they play their final match before the World Cup break.
The Reds take on Crystal Palace, and that marks the end of what has been a busy - not to mention important - week Trentside, with three successive home fixtures. Forest were keen to quickly put Video Assistant Referee frustrations from last weekend's draw with Brentford behind them, and they did so by toppling Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup.
That midweek 2-0 victory gives Steve Cooper's side some momentum going into the Palace clash. But it has also left the Reds' head coach with a selection dilemma.
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Cooper made nine changes against Spurs. And a number of those who came into the side caught the eye, including some who have been struggling for minutes of late. It means the Welshman now has some big calls to make.
Forest have made positive strides in recent weeks, aside from their 5-0 thumping at Arsenal. They have the chance to make it four home league games unbeaten against Palace, having come from behind to get something from a match for the first time in their 2-2 draw with the Bees.
“We do take a lot of encouragement from that," Cooper said earlier in the week. “It’s just frustrating that we gave up the lead again; we’ve given a lead up on too many occasions this year, haven’t we? That’s something we need to improve on, of course.
“But on the flip side, it was good to come back and get something. And rightly so as well. If we had walked off after that game with nothing, it would have been a tough one to take. It would have been tough for the boys, especially with our league position.
“And I still feel we should have got three points. But it’s gone, and we have to move on now.
“What was also really pleasing about Saturday was the first half performance was really good. And for me, that was a great response to what happened at Arsenal.
“I challenged everybody in the week about what went on at the Emirates, and they responded really well. I think that’s a good sign as well.”
Renan Lodi scored his first goal for the club against Spurs, having dropped to the bench against Brentford following a tough time at the Emirates Stadium. The Brazilian might well be among the substitutes again on Saturday, however, as Neco Williams has been doing well at left-back.
Cooper has tried not to change his defence too much as Forest have looked to become harder to beat. Joe Worrall and Willy Boly will have given the manager food for thought, however, as they were solid in midweek.
Orel Mangala will not be available for selection on Saturday as he is suspended after being sent off on Wednesday night. Still, there had been a nice balance between the Belgian, Ryan Yates and Lewis O'Brien in the centre of the pitch, which suggests they can be a good combination further down the line.
Having said that, Cheikhou Kouyaté and Remo Freuler have contributed to improved performances in recent weeks. And Jack Colback made his comeback from a back problem against Tottenham.
It is up front where Cooper perhaps has the biggest decision to make, however. In the last two games he has tweaked his attacking system slightly - and it seems to have got the best out of two players, in particular.
Morgan Gibbs-White stood out against Brentford, netting his first goal in the Garibaldi and putting in his best performance of the campaign. And then Jesse Lingard went and did the same when handed a similar role on Wednesday night. Who gets the nod this time is a tough one to call.
In each of those games, Cooper opted for two strikers playing slightly wider. Brennan Johnson and Emmanuel Dennis combined well with Gibbs-White in the first half against the Bees, in particular.
Taiwo Awoniyi worked hard in the cup game, however, and Sam Surridge will hope he has staked his claim to be involved. The latter played a part in the late equaliser last weekend and then set up Lingard as part of a bright overall performance in midweek.
Predicted Forest line-up to face Palace: Henderson; Aurier, Cook, McKenna, Williams; Freuler, Yates, O’Brien; Gibbs-White; Johnson, Awoniyi.
How should Forest line up against Crystal Palace? Have your say in the comments below
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