Nottingham Forest are set for a busy period in their schedule, as there are some crucial games ahead that Vitor Pereira must manoeuvre smoothly. The immediate focus is on their UEFA Europa League last 16 first leg at home against FC Midtjylland, and the Nottingham Forest boss will certainly seek revenge for an earlier loss in the league phases, when Ange Postecoglou was in charge.
Forest are in the thick of a relegation battle, hovering just above West Ham in that regard. Their point away at Manchester City last week kept them above the Hammers on goal difference, as they must manage games with Fulham and fellow relegation rivals Tottenham in and around the ties with Midtjylland.
Winning the Europa League will be a massive achievement for this club, given they have not played in any European tournament since the 1995/96 UEFA Cup campaign. However, the Premier League is still the priority for Forest, although Pereira will look for ways to manage both fronts, given he may have a squad capable of success on multiple fronts.
While English teams utterly dominated the Champions League, that is not remotely the case in the UEFA Europa League. Given the gulf in squad quality, sides like Forest were expected to finish in the top eight; instead, surprise packages like FC Midtjylland were one of the big hitters in the league phase, finishing third after accumulating 19 points from their eight games.
That finish allowed the Danish side to enter the round of 16 directly, unlike their next opponents, Forest. Mike Tullberg’s side are coming into this clash in Nottingham off the back of a five-game unbeaten run on the domestic front, where they are challenging for the title.
This game is the sixth time Midtjylland face English opposition, against whom they have won twice in the past. One instance was recently this season against Forest in the league phase, and then against Manchester United in the round of 32 of the Europa League tie in February 2016.
There are the usual absentees who have been missing for large parts of this season for Nottingham Forest. Those include John Victor, Willy Boly, Nicolo Savona, and Chris Wood. January arrival Luca Netz is ineligible for this competition and was omitted from the UEFA Europa League squad.
There are some doubts in this squad too, as Stefan Ortega is a doubt, but Matz Sels is in good form and will start in goal. Vitor Pereira could make some changes from the team that drew with Manchester City, and Callum Hudson-Odoi and Omari Hutchinson could be included in the lineup.
The Nottingham Forest head coach might retain the same back four for this clash with FC Midtjylland, while Ibrahim Sangare and Elliott Anderson will manage the midfield setup. Apart from the possible inclusions of Hutchinson and Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus will continue in the attacking setup for Forest.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangaré, Anderson; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
Midtjylland have been dealt a huge blow as top scorer Franculino Dju, with 21 goals to his name this term, will miss out. Mikel Gogorza also has a fitness issue, and winger Dario Osorio is suspended for accumulating multiple yellow cards.
Mike Tullberg will have some selection decisions to make, as Aral Simsir could be added to the attack. Former Fulham full-back Kevin Mbabu is also in contention to play at the back. Former Bournemouth and Napoli star Philip Billing is set to play in Midtjylland’s midfield, as the Danes are coming in with a capable enough setup to compete against Nottingham Forest.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Olafsson; Erlic, Bech Sorensen, Diao; Mbabu, Billing, Castillo, Bak; Simsir; Cho, Brumado
The season is into the final run-in for all teams, and for Nottingham Forest, it is crucial that they pick up top form. Firstly, Vitor Pereira is tasked with manoeuvring through two competitions; while both are important, he might prioritise the league over Europe. Challenging on all fronts could be possible if his players step up, particularly club talisman Morgan Gibbs-White.
Gibbs-White should come into this clash with some momentum owing to his display against Manchester City. The Englishman will be key to how Forest play, and his form could dictate whether the team has the minerals to challenge on multiple fronts, albeit with the league placing them in a relegation battle. The game against Midtjylland is very important for the club, and their main attacker must put in a top-notch performance.
Midtjylland will come into this game knowing they might get something to take back into the second leg, and they may also lean on their previous victory over Nottingham Forest earlier in the season. However, the challenges then and now are totally different, and they could suffer at this venue this time around.
Forest are picking up form at the right time, and Vitor Pereira has got them working in tandem despite the mounting pressure on all fronts. The energy is positive around the group, and that might translate onto the pitch, and the home side could pick up a slender but crucial win in this first leg of their round of 16 clash.
