Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner has refused to allow his squad to relax following their heroic 3-1 victory over Manchester City, keeping a select group of 12 first-team stars back at the Nigel Doughty Academy for an intensive boot camp—including a secret behind-closed-doors friendly match during the international break.
The City Ground erupted on Saturday as a magnificent brace from £50 million striker Liam Delap alongside a towering header from Jair Cunha snapped Forest’s five-game winless slump and lifted the Reds out of the Premier League relegation zone.
However, despite the post-match celebrations that saw owner Evangelos Marinakis congratulate Glasner in the tunnel, the Austrian manager issued a strict warning to his squad that any drop in standards will lead to immediate punishment when Premier League action resumes.
”If We Lay Back, We Get Beaten”: Glasner Demands Relentless Focus
Speaking after Saturday’s landmark victory, Glasner made it abundantly clear that Forest’s survival fight is far from over:
“Not now, lay back. No, it’s now take this confidence, take this spirit and keep going, so that’s what we need to do.
“If we now believe we can lay back and drop somewhere by two, three, four percentage, then you get beaten, because it’s the Premier League… prepare, and then have the same focus, the same desire again at Bournemouth. Because otherwise, we can see Bournemouth are on a winning run so I would not imagine it will be easier than Saturday.”
While 11 international stars departed Trentside to represent their countries—including Morgan Gibbs-White (England), Ola Aina (Nigeria), Nikola Milenkovic (Serbia), and Jair Cunha (Brazil)—Glasner has retained a core group of 12 senior players for specialized tactical drills and match fitness work.
Secret Friendly Match: Savona and Igor Jesus Set for Crucial Minutes
The upcoming behind-closed-doors friendly fixture serves as a vital fitness test for several key players returning from long-term injury lay-offs:
- Nicolò Savona’s Long-Awaited Comeback: The full-back has returned to full squad training for the first time since undergoing major knee surgery in January. Glasner confirmed Savona is set to feature in the secret friendly to gain his first match minutes in ten months.
- Igor Jesus Building Match Sharpness: Brazilian forward Igor Jesus made his official comeback from a calf injury off the bench against City. The fortnight break provides him with crucial conditioning to reach peak fitness.
- Nicolás Domínguez Injury Horror: While the rest of the squad trains, midfielder Nicolás Domínguez faces an agonizing eight-week spell on the sidelines after suffering a severe hamstring tear.
The 12-Man Training Group Locked in at Trentside
Alongside Jesus and Savona, the remaining senior group working under Glasner’s watchful eye includes goalkeepers Matz Sels, John Victor, and Steven Benda, defenders Murillo and Luca Netz, alongside outfield stars Ryan Yates, Callum Hudson-Odoi, James McAtee, Arnaud Kalimuendo, and weekend hero Liam Delap.
With Forest set to travel south to face an 8-game winning Bournemouth side on Saturday, November 21st, Glasner’s relentless international break regime could prove to be the exact edge Forest need to continue their surge up the Premier League table.
