Nottingham Forest host Leeds United at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon in Oliver Glasner’s first competitive match as head coach.
Forest parted with Vítor Pereira this summer despite him steering the club away from relegation trouble, turning instead to the man who delivered the Conference League, FA Cup and Community Shield during his time at Crystal Palace. It is a considerable change in direction, and Saturday offers the first real evidence of how it will look on the pitch.
Nottingham Forest team news
Ryan Yates is unavailable with an unspecified minor issue, while Nicolo Savona has suffered a fresh setback in his recovery from a knee injury and will not be ready for the opener. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Glasner said: “The players are fit and looking good. We’ve changed a few things in the way we want to play and the players have adapted really well. We aren’t at 100% right now, it just isn’t possible, but we feel we are on a good track.”
Ousmane Diomande, signed for £34m from Sporting CP, is expected to make his full debut in a back three alongside Nikola Milenković and Murillo, protecting goalkeeper Matz Sels. Xaver Schlager, who arrived from RB Leipzig, is pushing for a starting role in central midfield alongside Ibrahim Sangaré, with a vacancy created by Elliot Anderson’s club-record departure this summer.
Neco Williams and Ola Aina are the most likely pairing at wing-back. Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White operate as the two attacking midfielders behind Igor Jesus, who leads the line after finishing as joint-top scorer in last season’s Europa League.
On this summer’s remaining transfer plans, Glasner added: “I’m very confident we will get in two more high-quality players. We don’t do business just to add numbers. We already know which players we want to bring in, now it is about getting the deals done.”
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup
Nottingham Forest possible starting XI (3-4-2-1): Sels; Diomande, Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, Sangare, Schlager, Williams; Ndoye, Gibbs-White; Jesus
When will the match kick off?
The Premier League match kicks off at 15:00 BST on Saturday, 22 August 2026.
How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United?
The match falls under the Premier League’s traditional 3pm Saturday blackout and will not be broadcast live in the UK.
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See also – Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United – Match preview and team news