Nottingham Forest have picked up just one win from their last six Premier League matches ahead of the game vs Burnley at the City Ground on Sunday. On the other hand, Burnley are likely to go down at the end of the season, and they are coming into this game 19th in the standings.
The Clarets have lost four of their last five Premier League matches, and this will be a difficult outing for them. This is a golden opportunity for Nottingham Forest to take advantage of the opposition’s form and grind out all three points. A win here would be a huge boost for them in the context of the relegation battle.
Burnley will look to put up a fight here, and it remains to be seen whether they can raise their performance levels in the remaining matches of the season. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
John Victor, Nicolo Savona, and Willy Boly are ruled out due to their respective knee injuries. Elliot Anderson misses out due to personal reasons. Callum Hudson-Odoi is also likely to miss out with a knock.
Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Burnley, with Matz Sels in goal. Neco Williams and Ola Aina will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out going forward. Murillo will start alongside Nikola Milenkovic at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ibrahim Sangare will add physicality and drive to the midfield alongside Ryan Yates, who will aim to provide defensive cover and control. Morgan Gibbs-White will add creativity and goals to the side in the final third.
Omari Hutchinson and Dan Ndoye will start on the flanks, and they will look to add pace, flair, and unpredictability going forward. Finally, Igor Jesus will lead the Nottingham Forest attack vs Burnley on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Yates; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Jesus
The away team will be without Zeki Amdouni (knee), Connor Roberts (Achilles), Axel Tuanzabe (calf), Hannibal Mejbri (thigh), and Jordan Beyer (hamstring). Josh Cullen is out for the season with ACL damage. Meanwhile, Josh Laurent is suspended.
Burnley will shape up in the 3-4-3 formation vs Nottingham Forest, with Martin Dubravka in goal. In the back three, Kyle Walker will start alongside Maxime Esteve and Joe Worrall. Oliver Sonne and Quilindschy Hartman will start in the wing-back roles. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
As for the midfield unit, Florentino Luis will start alongside James Ward-Prowse in the middle of the park. The two players will look to keep things tight in the middle and protect the defensive unit. Finally, Zian Flemming will lead the line for Burnley vs Nottingham Forest, with Jacob Bruun Larsen and Jaidon Anthony on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Dubravka; Walker, Worrall, Esteve; Sonne, Florentino Luis, Ward-Prowse, Hartman; Bruun Larsen, Flemming, Anthony
The Nottingham Forest playmaker is our key player to watch out for. He will look to help create opportunities for his teammates in the final third and find the back of the net.
Burnley have been quite vulnerable at the back, and they will struggle to keep the Nottingham Forest midfielder quiet in the final third. He could make a defining impact for his team going forward, and the fans will hope that their team can come away with all three points.
Nottingham Forest will be desperate to pick up all three points here. Burnley have been quite poor in recent matches, and this will be a difficult challenge for them. They will look to make life difficult for the opposition, but the poor defensive unit is likely to let them down.
Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet here, but Nottingham Forest have more quality in the final third, and they should be able to come away with a win. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Vitor Pereira and his charges.
