The Forest XI Steve Cooper picked for first pre-season game in 2022, one star could still play for Nuno Espirito Santo

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Nottingham Forest got their 2025 pre-season campaign underway with a 0-0 draw at Chesterfield as the Reds prepare for a campaign playing in Europe.

Forest have only been back in the Premier League for three seasons, and already a lot has changed at the football club.

Steve Cooper signed 23 players following promotion to the Premier League, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Dean Henderson and Neco Williams among them.

The former Forest head coach was dealt a really difficult hand before a maiden campaign playing in the top-flight, with all five loan players leaving and Lewis Grabban and Brice Samba moving on.

As a result, it meant that a pre-season friendly against Coventry out in Spain made the team-sheet looked very intriguing and somewhat daunting about what was to come.

• READ MORE: Nottingham Forest trophy history

How Nottingham Forest lined up to play Coventry

Nottingham Forest played their first game as a Premier League club at a training camp in Spain against Coventry.

The game was played at the Pinatar Arena, where many clubs go for pre-season contests, with Forest choosing that destination for their pre-season tour ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The XI selected by Cooper did feature some new signings, along with some promotion winners and some young talents.

The starting line-up (1st half): Dean Henderson; Joe Worrall, Steve Cook, Moussa Niakhate; Giulian Biancone, Ryan Yates, Jack Colback, Nicholas Ioannou; Joe Lolley; Lyle Taylor, Taiwo Awoniyi

The second half line-up: Jordan Smith; Fin Back, Loic Mbe Soh, Jonathan Panzo, Aaron Donnelly; Cafu, Braian Ojeda; Xande Silva, Oli Hammond, Alex Mighten; Nuno da Costa

Forest lost the game 3-1 to the Championship opposition, with Biancone bagging his first goal for the club.

The one notable name in the line-up is Ryan Yates, who is the only remaining member of the squad still at the City Ground today.

Not only is he still playing for Forest but three seasons in and Yates is now the club captain, with Espirito Santo clearly a big fan of his.

Yates will have a role to play for Forest in 2025/26

The midfielder wasn’t always considered the first choice last season, but things could be different in 2025/26.

Forest will be playing in Europe for the first time in 30 years and that means more games.

The Reds need healthy competition for places and Forest will look to their captain to play a very important role next season.

Yates has seen it all at Forest over the years and nobody in the Forest dressing room will be looking forward to playing in Europe quite like the captain.