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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Sarah Clapson & Chris Watson

Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United team news and predicted XIs

Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United go head-to-head once again at the City Ground on Tuesday night as they bid to reach Wembley and take a step closer to the Premier League.

Huddersfield Town booked their place in the Championship play-off final on Monday evening as they edged out Luton Town 2-1 on aggregate. Now it is the turn of the Reds and the Blades to see who will join them.

Forest hold a slender 2-1 lead following Saturday's semi-final first leg at Bramall Lane. Goals from Jack Colback and Brennan Johnson put Steve Cooper's men in control, before a Sander Berge halved the deficit in added time to give Paul Heckingbottom's side renewed hope.

READ MORE: The factors Steve Cooper believes will be key to Nottingham Forest promotion bid

ALSO READ: Gary Neville makes Nottingham Forest plea ahead of Sheffield United showdown

Will the managers keep faith with the starting line-ups from the weekend? Or will they be tempted to make changes?

Keinan Davis is pushing for a return to the Forest XI after the striker, on loan from Aston Villa, came on for the final 13 minutes of the first leg. It was his first appearance since recovering from a hamstring strain.

Head coach Cooper said after Saturday's game: “It’s great to have him back, and good for him to get some minutes. He did some good things, as he does. Let’s see what he looks like for Tuesday.”

Cooper says he has no new injury concerns, with Ryan Yates passed fit despite suffering another knock to his injured shoulder. Lewis Grabban and Max Lowe are sidelined until the end of the season with hamstring and groin injuries respectively.

NottinghamshireLive's Forest writer Sarah Clapson wrote: "The big call facing Cooper is whether Keinan Davis is fit to start. And if he is, does he go into the starting XI?

"Davis had caused United all sorts of problems in the away league fixture in March. But fellow front man Sam Surridge grasped his opportunity in the absence of the Aston Villa loanee and Lewis Grabban, relishing the chance to get a run of games.

"Clinical finishing has seen Surridge bag eight goals in 21 appearances in the Garibaldi, including netting a hat-trick against Swansea City in the last match at the City Ground. He could have got on the scoresheet on Saturday, too, and also made a brilliant clearance from off the line at the other end of the pitch.

"Cooper is unlikely to make too many changes to his side. But other than Davis, Joe Lolley may feel he has put a case forward for inclusion.

"The winger has found game time hard to come by for much of this term. However, he looked back to his old self at the weekend, setting up Johnson for the second goal with a great bit of determination to win the ball, followed by a surging run."

Sheffield United are still unsure on the fitness of striker Billy Sharp heading into the game. The 36-year-old has only played 20 minutes since the start of April after suffering a calf injury and it remains to be seen whether he will be involved on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, George Baldock is pushing for a start after returning to action from the bench in the first leg. The Blades are expected go into the second leg with the same squad which could see Heckingbottom name an unchanged XI.

Nottingham Forest predicted XI: Samba; Worrall, Cook, McKenna; Spence, Yates, Garner, Colback; Zinckernagel; Johnson, Surridge.

Sheffield United predicted XI: Foderingham; Basham, Egan, Robinson; Osborn, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens; Berge; Gibbs-White, Ndiaye.

Would you make any changes for the Forest starting line-up? Let us know in the comments section

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