The Premier League season is rapidly gathering pace, and Nottingham Forest are preparing for another blockbuster test at the City Ground. Following a hard-fought, dramatic 2-2 draw away at Liverpool, Oliver Glasner’s side are turning their attention to this weekend’s crunch fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.
As the Reds look to stamp their authority on home turf and continue building momentum, manager Oliver Glasner has been handed a major positive on the injury front, though it has presented the Austrian tactician with one of the most difficult logistical headaches a football manager can face.
Ibrahim Sangaré Returns as Squad Nears Full Fitness
Speaking to the press ahead of Saturday’s 3 PM showdown, Glasner delivered an encouraging team news update that will delight Forest supporters. Midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré is fully available and back in contention for the matchday squad after recovering from the minor knock that forced him to sit out last weekend’s trip to Anfield.
Sangaré’s return leaves full-back Nicolò Savona as the sole absentee in an otherwise clean bill of health across the entire squad. Savona is continuing his rehabilitation from a persistent knee injury that has sidelined the Italian defender since last season.
While Savona remains out of commission for the immediate future, his eventual return will provide a welcome defensive boost. Glasner has already highlighted the versatile right-back as a strong internal candidate to cover at centre-back—a position where the Reds are currently carrying a slightly leaner profile following the summer departures of Morato and Zach Abbott on loan.
With Murillo, Nikola Milenković, Ousmane Diomande, and Jair Cunha serving as the core natural central defenders, having utility options like Savona and midfielder Ryan Yates adds crucial tactical insurance for the grueling months ahead.
Offering an update on Savona’s recovery, Glasner noted: “He had a setback and today was his first time back on grass. Now we need to build him up step by step. Hopefully he can fully train with us during the international break or afterwards, and then he should be back soon.”
The Manager’s Dilemma: When a Full Squad is Too Big
While having an almost fully fit squad is every manager’s ultimate dream during a demanding Premier League campaign, it introduces a brutal reality for matchday selection. With just 20 outfield players fully fit and ready for selection, Glasner confessed that he faces the agonizing task of telling fully committed professionals that they will not even make the bench.
“The good thing is everyone is fit, just Savona. But even now we have a small squad, with 20 on-field players fit, I still have to leave two players out tomorrow,” Glasner admitted.
The Forest boss praised the relentless intensity and high-level application shown by his players during training sessions throughout the week, making his final roster cuts even more painful.
“Everyone has had really tough and intense training sessions, yesterday and on Tuesday. Everyone gave their all, and then the nice manager has to come and say, ‘Well done on the entire week, but Saturday, you’re in the stand’.
“For me, it’s the worst decision I have to make as a football manager. It’s easy to make it if I see a lack of effort, because then I think the player doesn’t deserve to be in the matchday squad. But if I see 100 per cent effort from everyone but still have to tell two players, ‘Sorry, but you can’t make the matchday squad’, I understand every disappointment.”
All Eyes on the City Ground
With the summer transfer window now officially closed and the dust settling on squad composition, Forest’s full attention turns to neutralizing a dangerous Tottenham side.
Armed with a nearly complete squad, a returning Ibrahim Sangaré, and the fierce internal competition driving every player in training, Oliver Glasner’s men enter Saturday’s clash looking to harness the roaring energy of the City Ground. If Forest can translate their training ground intensity into a ruthless 90-minute performance against Spurs, they will send an emphatic statement to the rest of the Premier League.
