Liverpool v Nottingham Forest prediction as Nuno has Ibrahim Sangare dilemma and fitness doubt

Latest Nottingham Forest news as Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds prepare for Premier League clash at Anfield

Nottingham Forest face their toughest test of the season so far when they take on Liverpool this weekend.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are unbeaten after their first three league games having racked up two draws and one win. But their trip to Anfield on Saturday presents a very different challenge.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has made a 100 percent start to life in the Premier League. The Reds will travel to Merseyside with the aim of putting a stop to that.

Nuno has a fair few selection dilemmas when it comes to picking his team. He must also weigh up whether to implement a formation tweak

Forest have stuck with a four-man defence early on this term but might three at the back be the way forward on this occasion to try to thwart the hosts? If Nuno has been thinking about going down that route, Willy Boly picking up a calf problem while on international duty might impact his plans.

Full-back Neco Williams will no doubt be keen to take on his former club. A repeat of his goalscoring performance at his old stomping ground in April 2023’s 3-2 defeat would not go amiss – albeit the Reds would like a different outcome this time.

Nuno does have options to mix things up at full-back, however. Aston Villa loanee Alex Moreno will be eager to break into the XI, which could lead to a battle between Williams and Ola Aina for the right-back spot.

In midfield, Ibrahim Sangare has been a source of debate among fans during the two-week hiatus. Elliot Anderson has surely cemented his place in the line-up in the middle of the park, but there are plenty of contenders to line up alongside him.

Deadline day signing James Ward-Prowse is available after watching the 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers from the sidelines. It may be that his debut comes from off the bench, though.

The dilemma for Nuno is whether to make changes to a team in decent form. Supporters might be split on Sangare, but the head coach has said he is happy with how the midfielder has started the season.

Further up the pitch, Morgan Gibbs-White will no doubt be full of confidence after making his England debut. However, wingers Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga will know they have Jota Silva and Ramon Sosa breathing down their necks.

Up front, fatigue might be an issue for Chris Wood. The New Zealander has been in the United States on international duty and faces a quick turnaround for Saturday’s game.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s only start so far this term was in the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United. The forward still looked short of full match fitness and sharpness after missing a chunk of pre-season so does need minutes. If Wood isn’t quite 100 percent after his long trip, the option is there for Nuno.

Predicted line-up: Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Sangare, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.