The Trees boss could be without two of his most trusted lieutenants vs Manchester United. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest booked their spot in the FA Cup semi-finals when defeating Brighton and Hove Albion on penalties over the weekend – but it came at a cost.
Indeed, the rampant Midlands outfit were made to navigate the penalty shootout without skipper Morgan Gibbs-White after he was pulled from the action on the brink of full-time in extra time.
It was a decision which initially raised the eyebrows of viewers, given the Englishman’s conversion rate from the spot, until Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed he was forced into the change due to injury.
“We are going to assess him. He had a big contact against the post. His leg was not OK and he was struggling. In the final minutes, you saw we were suffering. We were on the ropes, so we decided to turn to Morato to see if we could hold on for penalties,” said the Forest boss post-match.
Nuno confirms double injury blow ahead of Forest vs United
Additionally, talisman Chris Wood was unable to make the matchday squad on Saturday due to an injury he sustained during his international duty with New Zealand. As a result, he may be absent when Forest host Manchester United at the City Ground tomorrow evening.
Espirito Santo told reporters: “Let’s wait and see (how Wood recovers). It is going to be day by day [that] we have to assess him. It is all about the pain he has. It was a big impact on his hip and it is very painful. We have to assess him. We are gutted that Chris is not here with us. I cannot answer that [if Wood will be fit to play United]. I don’t know, I’m not sure. It is going to be day by day.”
It goes without saying that the Red Devils’ chances of getting a result in Nottingham would increase substantially if either player were absent, as they have been the two most influential figures in what’s been a truly emphatic campaign for Forest.
That being said, the likes of Anthony Elanga, a Carrington graduate, is on course to oversee the most prolific season of his career thus far and is expected to be deployed from the off in hopes of getting one over on his former club again – while stalwart defenders Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic and Ola Aina will make life as difficult as possible for United’s attackers.
Forest famously overturned the Reds on their home turf for the first time in 29 years in December 2023. Tomorrow, they could also achieve a Premier League double for the first time in their history.
