Nottingham Forest team news and predicted XI to face Everton as Nuno Espirito Santo has decision to make

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Nottingham Forest return to Premier League action at the City Ground on Saturday looking to bounce back from defeat against Aston Villa last time out.

Forest went down 2-1 at Villa Park last Saturday, early goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen proving to be insurmountable.

Despite the defeat, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side still have a healthy four-point margin above Chelsea in fourth after the Blues’ 0-0 draw at Brentford.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	31	22	7	2	72	30	42	73
2	ArsenalArsenal	31	17	11	3	56	26	30	62
3	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	31	17	6	8	51	37	14	57
4	ChelseaChelsea	31	15	8	8	54	37	17	53
5	NewcastleNewcastle	30	16	5	9	52	39	13	53
6	Man CityManchester City	31	15	7	9	57	40	17	52
7	Aston VillaAston Villa	31	14	9	8	46	46	0	51

And with Everton next up, the Reds will fancy their chances at an immediate return to winning ways.

Nottingham Forest team news vs Everton amid formation conundrum

In his pre-match press conference, Espirito Santo didn’t give much away on the injury status of Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi.

Alongside Ola Aina, the 51-year-old said that Wood and Awoniyi were being assessed before Everton’s visit.

All three could therefore feature or, more likely based on the injuries sustained and Espirito Santo’s reluctance to provide further details, miss out entirely.

Despite Espirito Santo’s cryptic message on Anthony Elanga’s fitness after substituting the Swede at half-time, the 22-year-old should be available for selection.

There is also positive news for Nottingham Forest in the form of Alex Moreno’s return.

Ineligible to face Aston Villa, his parent club, Moreno’s availability does leave Espirito Santo with a decision to make over formation, however.

Having played a 3-5-2 at Villa Park, the Spaniard’s return provides Espirito Santo with the option to return to a 4-2-3-1, as played against Manchester United before the Villa defeat.

With that in mind, Nottingham Forest News is predicting two changes from the side that lost to Aston Villa.

Nottingham Forest predicted line-up vs Everton

GK: Matz Sels – Still leading the way for the Golden Glove in the Premier League this season, Sels is an obvious starter.

RB: Neco Williams – With Aina seemingly unlikely to feature, Williams can slot in at right-back, a position he has played comfortably throughout his career to date.

CB: Murillo – Sels’s clean sheet record isn’t just down to his shot-stopping ability; Murillo has been vital in helping Forest to the defensive record they have. The Brazilian is an obvious starter.

CB: Nikola Milenkovic – Everton are notoriously strong from set-pieces, meaning Milenkovic’s presence in both boxes will be vital if Nottingham Forest are to earn the win on Saturday.

LB: Alex Moreno – With Everton likely to sit in a low block at the City Ground, the Reds shouldn’t need to start with three centre-backs. Moreover, Moreno’s creativity will be useful when attempting to break the Toffees down, another reason why he should start on Saturday.

CM: Ryan Yates – Captain fantastic, the energy and endeavour Ryan Yates brings to the game mean he is another obvious starter.

CM: Elliot Anderson – Having featured in 30 of Forest’s 31 Premier League outings so far this season, Anderson will rack up another appearance against Everton as he and Yates continue to develop their flourishing midfield partnership.

RW: Anthony Elanga – Nottingham Forest’s most dangerous player in recent weeks, Anthony Elanga’s trickery will be important if Nottingham Forest are to break down what will be a resolute Everton defence.

CAM: Morgan Gibbs-White – Amid interest in Gibbs-White from Manchester City, it will be interesting to see how the England international performs. Whether his head has been turned by the news or not, the 25-year-old is an expected starter.

LW: Callum Hudson-Odoi – As with Elanga, Hudson-Odoi’s creativity and ability to take the ball past defenders will be important against Everton, a reason why he must start.

ST: Jota Silva – Jota Silva equalled a Nottingham Forest record after he scored again after coming off the bench against Aston Villa. With Wood and Awoniyi major doubts, the 25-year-old should be given his chance from the beginning of the game against Everton.