Potential Nottingham Forest 'banana skin' leaves Nuno with key dilemma after Liverpool draw
Rest and recovery will have been important for Nottingham Forest on the back of their dramatic 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Tuesday night.
An almighty effort was put in by the Reds against the league leaders as they extended their unbeaten streak in the Premier League to seven games. And they will be well aware there can be no drop in standards in their next outing.
Bottom-placed Southampton will present a very different test at the City Ground on Sunday (2pm kick-off). There will be no underestimating the struggling Saints by Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, however. He will know this one could be a potential banana skin. In many ways, this game is equally as important as the last one.
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“It was a lesson for all of us. This is how we want to compete - to the limits of our efforts - and we saw that. I’m very, very proud of the work of the players. There were defensive actions we should reflect on and don’t ever, ever change,” Nuno said after the final whistle on Tuesday evening. He wants his players to continue to hit the same levels as they aim to consolidate their place in the top four.
Nevertheless, the exertions of the midweek clash with Liverpool might affect Nuno's thinking when it comes to naming his starting line-up for the weekend. The Portuguese won't want to change too much, given the run his team are on, but he might want to freshen things up a little bit.
Midfield could be one area where Nuno tweaks personnel. Nicolas Dominguez could consider himself unfortunate to have missed out on the XI on Tuesday night so perhaps the Argentine will be recalled for the Southampton fixture. It would be a tough call over whether to leave out Ryan Yates or Elliot Anderson at his expense, though.
Such a dilemma means James Ward-Prowse could well find himself on the bench against his former club. The West Ham United loanee came up through the ranks on the south coast but might have to settle for being among the substitutes on the banks of the Trent.
Ward-Prowse did well when in the starting line-up against Luton Town in the FA Cup last Saturday but competition for places is fierce in the centre of the pitch. He also now has Danilo to contend with, given the Brazilian is back involved after recovering from his broken ankle.
After making his comeback against the Hatters, Danilo was not in the match squad against Liverpool as Nuno continues to tread carefully with him. The Brazilian will hope he gets another opportunity for minutes this weekend.
At the back, Neco Williams was outstanding against his former club on Tuesday night. If it is decided the Welshman needs a rest, Aston Villa loanee Alex Moreno would be waiting in the wings to take up the left-back spot. Still, it would be no surprise if Nuno continues to stick with the same defensive line-up as continuity has been serving Forest well.
At the top end of the pitch, wingers Jota Silva and Ramon Sosa are options if it is decided a change is required in attack. However, Anthony Elanga is on a roll when it comes to goal involvements in games at the moment and Callum Hudson-Odoi would certainly pose Southampton problems.
Forest predicted XI: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Dominguez, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
