Nottingham Forest predicted XI watchers get their answer tonight. The Reds host Leeds United in the second round of the Carabao Cup at the City Ground, three days after Anton Stach’s late free-kick handed the same opponents a 1-0 win on opening day — and Oliver Glasner must make the call without his captain. The Guardian reported on Monday night that Morgan Gibbs-White misses the tie with a knee problem, with Forest hopeful he will be available for Saturday’s trip to Liverpool.
That absence reshapes everything. Glasner’s Forest is built on a three-man defence with wing-backs pushed high and two creators feeding a lone striker, and Gibbs-White is the man those patterns run through. Four days before Anfield, this is the first real audit of how deep the squad runs.
Nottingham Forest predicted XI vs Leeds United (3-4-2-1)
John Victor; Nikola Milenković, Ousmane Diomande, Murillo; Neco Williams, Xaver Schlager, Nicolás Domínguez, Luca Netz; Omari Hutchinson, James McAtee; Igor Jesus.
The obvious storyline is Diomande. Forest’s £34.3m signing from Sporting has yet to make his competitive debut after being left out against Leeds on Saturday, and a home cup tie is exactly where a marquee centre-back gets his minutes. Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dan Ndoye are the pressure valves on the bench.
Daniel Farke is expected to rotate too, so a much-changed evening on both sides looks likely.
Glasner, meanwhile, is working on two fronts. “The club is working very hard to get these deals done,” he said of Forest’s remaining transfer business. “I’m very confident that we will get in two more high-quality players.”
Confirmed team news lands roughly an hour before kick-off. For the full build-up, see our Nottingham Forest v Leeds EFL Cup preview.
