Nuno Espirito Santo could shock us all at 6:15pm by handing Nottingham Forest ace his first league start vs Brentford

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Nottingham Forest play host to Brentford at the City Ground this evening.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side know a win would catapult them back into third place, with just four games to go, so it’s a crucial game in the race for Champions League football.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	34	25	7	2	80	32	48	82
2	ArsenalArsenal	34	18	13	3	63	29	34	67
3	NewcastleNewcastle	34	19	5	10	65	44	21	62
4	Man CityManchester City	34	18	7	9	66	43	23	61
5	ChelseaChelsea	34	17	9	8	59	40	19	60
6	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	33	18	6	9	53	39	14	60
7	Aston VillaAston Villa	34	16	9	9	54	49	5	57
8	FulhamFulham	34	14	9	11	50	46	4	51
9	BrightonBrighton	34	13	12	9	56	55	1	51
10	B’mouthBournemouth	34	13	11	10	53	41	12	50
11	BrentfordBrentford	33	13	7	13	56	50	6	46

Paul Merson reckons Forest will be held to a score draw as he believes there’s not much between the two sides, strangely.

14 points separate the pair, so Nottingham Forest will certainly be the favourites, especially since they won the reverse fixture pretty comfortably.

Nuno doesn’t give much away in his pre-game press conferences, so predicting his starting line-up can be challenging.

However, the 51-year-old did drop a subtle hint that he may make another big call in the back.

• READ MORE: Nottingham Forest considering summer move for 28-goal striker with £85m release clause

Nuno Espirito Santo could start Nottingham Forest teenager Zach Abbott vs Brentford

Nuno made a bold call at the weekend and handed Zach Abbott his first Forest start against Manchester City at Wembley.

18-year-old Abbott performed exceptionally well and earned much of the plaudits despite suffering a 2-0 defeat.

Speaking in Tuesday’s press conference, Nuno delivered an intriguing verdict on Abbott ahead of the Brentford clash.

“Zach is a young lad who has been working with us since the end of last season,” the Forest boss explained.

“He’s working with the squad, and he’s an international with England under-19. He was ready. He has quality, and he did well.

“It was not an easy game for him; it’s the first time he’s been involved in a big occasion, and I think the team helped him. I’m happy for him, he finished the game in a bad place fitness-wise but he’s an option for sure.”

That last line suggests there’s a real chance Abbott could retain his place in the side and make his first Premier League start this evening.

Nottingham Forest predicted XI vs Brentford

Right-back Ola Aina remains a doubt for Brentford, but aside from that, Nuno has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Abbott deputised well for Aina against the Citizens and provided a bit more solidity than Neco Williams, who is more attack-minded.

So, the Forest boss may opt for the teenager once again, with the jet-heeled Elanga given more licence to get forward.

That said, the only change could be Danilo for Elanga.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels; Abbott, Milenkovic, Murillo, Toffolo; Dominguez, Anderson, Gibbs-White; Elanga, Wood, Hudson-Odoi.