Every point counts at the end of the season as Nottingham Forest chase Champions League football, with the first of three huge fixtures being the visit of Leicester City.
Michael Dawson still backs Forest’s Champions League push as we enter the final weeks of the season, but three points are a must in every remaining fixture.
Forest are planning a big summer spree regardless of their European fate, but the Champions League remains the dream as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side aim to set up a final-day showdown with Chelsea.
It’s Leicester City first, though, and the Forest manager has an anxious wait to see if one of his most influential stars will be fit enough to play a part.
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty ImagesNottingham Forest team news vs Leicester City
Ahead of the clash, it was revealed that Murillo is fighting to be fit for Leicester after picking up a knock against Crystal Palace on Monday, something Espirito Santo discussed in his pre-match press conference.
Espirito Santo said: “He [Murillo] has been able to do part of the training sessions. But we still have to assess him better tomorrow.”
Another star who certainly won’t be available is Callum Hudson-Odoi. His absence will be more extensive after Hudson-Odoi picked up a hamstring injury, something Espirito Santo offered an update on.
He continued: “He is improving, but he is not going to be available for this game. Hopefully he can feature again this season.”
Despite Murillo’s fitness uncertainty, Nottingham Forest News is predicting Espirito Santo to name the same side that earned a point against Crystal Palace.
Nottingham Forest predicted line-up against Leicester City
GK: Matz Sels – The Belgian will be hoping for a 14th clean sheet to strengthen his lead in the race for the Premier League Golden Glove.
RB: Ola Aina – Aina is fit and firing again after his injury, producing a stronger performance against Palace after a shaky return in the defeat to Brentford.
CB: Nikola Milenkovic – Murillo’s fitness is in doubt, so the reliability of Milenkovic will be crucial against Leicester.
CB: Murillo – With Nuno revealing he has been involved in training, Murillo will hopefully pass late fitness tests to keep Forest’s defence stable in the crucial final stages of the season.
LB: Neco Williams – Forest’s first-choice defence will be completed by Williams, who claimed the assist for Murillo’s flicked equaliser against Palace.
CM: Ibrahim Sangare – Forest fans raved about Sangare for his Palace performance, earning him a rare successive start.
CM: Nicolas Dominguez – Providing the energy alongside Sangare’s composure, Reds fans were fans of this pair’s partnership on Monday.
RW: Anthony Elanga – Elanga has a crucial role to play in the final games of the season, needing to support Chris Wood up front in the absence of Hudson-Odoi.
CAM: Morgan Gibbs-White – Like the Swede, Gibbs-White will play a crucial role in Forest’s Champions League hopes, with Leicester a perfect chance to find his form.
LW: Elliot Anderson – Espirito Santo seems to prefer using Anderson in these roles rather than the likes of Ramon Sosa and Jota Silva, so we expect him to do the same on Sunday.
ST: Chris Wood – One away from 20 league goals, Wood re-finding his goalscoring form would be very much welcome for the team and from his personal perspective.