Nottingham Forest Pre-Season: What to Expect Against Birmingham City
Nottingham Forest is on the hunt for their first pre-season win as they head to St. Andrew's to face off against newly promoted Birmingham City. After four frustrating attempts, can the Reds finally find their scoring touch?
It's been a mixed bag for Forest so far this summer. On one hand, there's been some great news, like Morgan Gibbs-White's new contract and a spot in the Europa League. On the other, the team has struggled to score, with just one goal in four games. That sole strike came from Chris Wood in a 3-1 loss to Fulham. Their other three matches—against Estoril, Monaco, and Chesterfield—all ended in goalless draws.
Fans will be hoping that returning home from their training camp will spark some much-needed offense. This match is a crucial final tune-up before they host Italian giants Fiorentina and Saudi side Al-Qadsiah, and then kick off their Premier League season against Brentford on August 17.
Birmingham City's Final Pre-Season Test
Birmingham City, under new manager Chris Davies, is also using this match to build momentum. The Blues have had a pretty mixed pre-season, winning three and losing three of their six warm-up games. In their most recent outings, a senior squad beat Port Vale 2-0, but a younger team was defeated by Northampton Town 3-0.
This game is especially important for Birmingham as it's their last chance to prepare before a tough Championship opener against recently relegated Ipswich Town. Adding to the challenge, Birmingham's first team has struggled against Forest in recent history, losing their last two competitive meetings back in the 2021-22 season.
Team News and Player Updates
Nottingham Forest:
Injury Update: Midfielder Nicolas Dominguez is still out with a serious knee injury.
Player Return: There's good news though, as Taiwo Awoniyi got 45 minutes of action against Estoril, continuing his comeback from an abdominal injury.
Possible Lineup: We could see some familiar faces return to the starting lineup, with Ola Aina and Murillo possibly back in defense.
Birmingham City:
Injury Concerns: Birmingham has a few injury worries of their own, with Phil Neumann, Paik Seung-ho, and Jay Stansfield all sidelined with minor issues.
Defensive Shake-Up: Eiran Cashin also picked up a stomach problem, which could mean former Arsenal player Krystian Bielik steps into the backline.
On the Attack: Look out for Premier League veteran Demarai Gray and Kyogo Furuhashi to be a threat in the attacking third.
Will Nottingham Forest finally get that pre-season win, or will Birmingham City find the momentum they need before the season begins?
