Nottingham Forest face Huddersfield Town for a place in the Premier League next weekend with both teams desperate to reach the promised land.
The Reds defeated Sheffield United over two legs to reach their first-ever play-off final. Huddersfield saw off Luton Town over two legs after a narrow 2-1 aggregate win.
Ahead of the tie, we decided to have a bit of fun and with both teams boasting a great deal of quality, we looked at how the best XI of players made up of the two teams might look.
Here is what we came up with…
The Forest and Huddersfield rearguard
Picking the goalkeeper is somewhat tricky. Lee Nicholls has been in tremendous form but we can’t overlook Brice Samba.
His heroics in the semi-final shouldn’t be overlooked and he was truly sensational against Sheffield United.
With Huddersfield utilising a similar system to that of Forest, we’ve also gone with three central defenders.
Scott McKenna and Joe Worrall would get into any Championship outfit and they both get the nod.
Chelsea loanee Levi Colwill has been outstanding for Huddersfield this season and he makes our team also.
The Forest and Huddersfield engine room and wing-backs
Now, this proved tricky. Both teams have enjoyed successful seasons largely due to their midfield players.
Lewis O’Brien is valued at £10 million by the Terriers although that was claimed last summer prior to his brilliance during the 2021/22 campaign.
Alongside him, we could have chosen either Ryan Yates or James Garner to feature.
Garner just gets the edge, however. His brilliance hasn’t gone unnoticed and it seems highly likely that he will get a chance with Manchester United next season.
In the wing-back roles, we’ve gone for Djed Spence on the right, with Huddersfield star Harry Toffolo taking his place on the left.
Leading the line
Through the middle, we’ve gone for Keinan Davis. He has been truly remarkable for the Reds since checking in from Aston Villa in the summer.
Behind him, we’ve picked a player from each team.
Brennan Johnson makes the cut. He’s scored 18 goals and claimed 10 assists this season making him Forest’s leading goalscorer.
Also included is Sorba Thomas. He’s been Huddersfield’s main man this season and looks set for a bright future.
He’s registered no fewer than 16 assists during 2021/22 and has recently been rewarded with a new contract.
Here is how our team might theoretically line-up:
