Nottingham Forest have a game with West Ham United tonight that could define their entire season.
A win for Sean Dyche’s team will see the Reds go seven points clear of the relegation zone and plunge West Ham even further into crisis.
Defeat for Forest would see the Hammers close the gap to a single point and make it five straight losses for the Reds under their current head coach.
Edu’s position has come under scrutiny over the last 24 hours and a defeat tonight might see Dyche come even further under fire than he already has in recent weeks.
Ahead of the game, it’s Nuno Espirito Santo who might get some good news ahead of tonight’s game, with two key players in contention to return.
Nuno Espirito Santo offers update on Lucas Paqueta
Paqueta has proved a bit of a nemesis for Forest in the past and the Reds’ fan base might have been happy to see him miss the Wolves game at the weekend.
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However, Espirito Santo has provided an intriguing update ahead of this game, suggesting that he could return against Forest, with Jean-Clair Todibo also working his way back.
He said in his press conference: “We have to assess both of them.
“They are trying hard to be involved after painful situations. We still have tomorrow (Tuesday) to see how they are and see if they can be involved in the squad.”
It’s clear that having Paqueta in the squad would enhance the feeling around the stadium on Tuesday and Forest will hope that he doesn’t make it for the crunch game.
Forest need better game plan against West Ham
Dyche has been renowned for setting his teams up not to lose across his career but tonight Forest need to find the sort of form that helped the team beat Liverpool and Tottenham earlier this season.
This game is not just a huge one for the football club, but it could prove to be a very important one for Dyche’s future as the manager of Nottingham Forest.
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If the Reds have a go, they should win the game but with the likes of Jarrod Bowen and new signing Taty Castellanos likely to be in the team, the Hammers do still have quality players.
Forest must go to London with their own game plan but it’s fair to say that having Paqueta available would significantly enhance the chances of a defeat for the Reds.
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