Steve Cooper has explained his surprise decision to leave Brennan Johnson out of the Nottingham Forest team to face Liverpool.
Johnson has eight Premier League goals, but Cooper told Sky Sports he has been dropped to the bench for tactical reasons with Forest in the relegation zone after 10 games without a win.
"It's a normal football decision," he said. "Brennan is having an excellent first season in the Premier League but we aren't having a good run. We're looking for solutions all the time.
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"We've got a three game week. Coming to Anfield you have to have a certain plan and then you try to pick the right team to deliver it. We're very happy with Brennan but at the same time we have to pick plans we feel can deliver on a particular day.
"Liverpool have always been really good. You look at some of the games they've played here in particular. Everything has to be perfect for us to get something. We know that but that has to be the ambition, to focus on ourselves and do what we can do well."
The Welshman makes one change to last weekend’s starting XI. Johnson drops to the bench, with Orel Mangala returning to the line-up.
The Reds stick with three at the back ahead of goalkeeper Keylor Navas, in Felipe, Moussa Niakhate and Scott McKenna. Neco Williams keeps his place against his old club, with Renan Lodi at left wing-back.
Mangala will line up alongside Remo Freuler and Danilo in midfield. And with no Johnson, Morgan Gibbs-White will support Taiwo Awoniyi in attack.
With the visitors short on numbers, youngster Ollie Hammond is included on the bench. Johnson, Wayne Hennessey, Joe Worrall, Jesse Lingard, Harry Toffolo, Sam Surridge, Emmanuel Dennis and Andre Ayew make up the list of substitutes.
Forest: Navas; Williams, Felipe, Niakhate, McKenna, Lodi; Mangala, Freuler, Danilo; Gibbs-White, Awoniyi. Subs: Hennessey, Worrall, Lingard, Toffolo, Surridge, Johnson, Dennis, Ayew, Hammond.
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