Jota out, Sosa in - Nottingham Forest predicted XI as Nuno tipped to respond to Bournemouth thumping
Uncertainty over Callum Hudson-Odoi’s availability to face Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend leaves Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo with a dilemma.
Hudson-Odoi missed last weekend’s trip to Bournemouth due to the groin injury he sustained against Southampton, and he proved to be a big miss. Nuno said afterwards he was unsure whether the winger would be fit for Saturday’s home clash with the Seagulls (12.30pm kick-off).
In the 24-year-old’s absence at the Vitality Stadium, Nuno opted to switch Anthony Elanga to the left and deploy Jota Silva on the right flank. However, the Portuguese conceded post-match that his team had lacked “balance”.
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Elanga did well against the Cherries but he was the only player in the visiting side able to make such a claim. From front to back, the Reds were poor as they were thumped 5-0 to bring their nine-match unbeaten run to a crashing halt.
It was a very uncharacteristic performance from Forest, particularly defensively. Of particular concern for Nuno was that it came on the back of the second half display against the Saints which almost cost his team three points. As the Portuguese put it, it is now a 7-0 scoreline against the Reds across their last 135 minutes of football.
There is no cause for alarm bells and Forest are still well placed in the Premier League table, but now it is all about how they bounce back. Getting the team selection right for Brighton’s visit to the City Ground is key.
If Hudson-Odoi does not get the green light to feature, Nuno could well be tempted to make a change on the wings. Although Elanga stood out last weekend, it would make sense to switch him back to the right.
Jota didn’t exactly grasp his opportunity to impress on a rare start so might find himself back on the bench. Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez have played out wide in the past, but Ramon Sosa would be the obvious choice to mix things up - not least because there is also a key call to be made on the midfield.
Ryan Yates and Anderson started in the centre of the pitch on Saturday but the former was hooked at half-time as Nuno reacted to a below-par first half from his team. The change made little difference as Forest conceded four goals in the second half and Dominguez was as much off the pace as any of his teammates.
The Argentine was arguably unfortunate not to have made the XI to begin with as he had worked well alongside Anderson in the previous game. He didn’t exactly press his case to win back a starting spot but Nuno must weigh up which combination would work best for getting to grips with Brighton.
If he really wants to ring the changes Trentside, the Reds boss could always consider utilising a different formation. There is always the option of bringing in Morato to play three at the back or to pack the midfield in a 4-3-3 system.
That said, Nuno’s comments after the final whistle on the south coast feel telling. "Don't change the way we play because days like this can happen again, and we don't want that,” he stressed. In other words, Forest need to stick with what they have been good at.
Forest predicted XI to face Brighton (assuming Hudson-Odoi is not fit): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Dominguez, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Sosa; Wood.
