Nottingham Forest v Bristol City match panel
TEAM NEWS: Forest's match day squad will again almost select itself, with Dexter Blackstock (knee), Nathan Tyson (calf) and Julian Bennett (knee) all out injured.
James Perch and Joel Lynch are only likely to be fit enough for a place on the bench, where they are likely to be joined by Robert Earnshaw, as he recovers from his calf problem.
But manager Billy Davies may still shuffle his starting line-up, with former City player Dele Adebola pushing for a recall.
The Robins skipper and centre-half Louis Carey is likely to miss the visit to the City Ground after picking up a back injury.
Carey was subbed at half-time in the draw with Sheffield Wednesday after taking a painful knock.
If he does not recover it will leave Bristol with only two experienced central defenders, in the form of one-time Forest target Lewin Nyatanga and Jamie McCombe, although Cole Skuse is capable of moving across into the centre.
FOREST (from): Camp, Gunter, Morgan, Wilson, Cohen, Garner, McKenna, Moussi, Anderson, McGoldrick, Adebola, Majewski, Chambers, Smith, Earnshaw, Lynch, Perch, McGugan, McCleary.
BRISTOL (from): Gerken, McCombe, Nyatanga, McAllister, Saborio, Elliott, Skuse, Johnson, Hartley, Sno, Maynard, Haynes, Sproule, Clarkson, Williams, Basso, Ribiero, Wilson, Carey.
DANGER MAN: Nicky Maynard.
The former Crewe striker is in fine form this season having netted ten goals already, including three in his last three games, helping the Robins to collect seven points.
With only one other player – midfielder Danny Haynes – having scored more than once in the league, Maynard's goals have been vital.
KEY MAN: Lewin Nyatanga. The Welsh international centre-half will have a key role in shackling Forest's front-line, whether it be the power of Dele Adebola or the guile of his international team mate Robert Earnshaw.
5 Comments
by REDEX, notts
Friday, November 06 2009, 11:16PM
“i think you'll find stuart that we have played 2 upfront a good few times and before you start with your usual rubbish nobodys moaning ! just pointing out an option billy seems to be avoiding for some reason
and i think youll find the reason we are on a great run is down to a very good creative play from midfield and a very strong profomance from our back line ,
our strikers have nowhere near reached the kind of form they are capable of and even though dex is scoring he is still below his best , added goals from midfield and even defence has kept us in it , our front line is nowhere near yet so yes stuart i think it would be healthy to try dele and earn together
with dex the only option working at the minute we need to find a plan B that will work when the dex option is not , if you cant see the sence in that then ?. . . . well lets be honest you are a muppet anyway”
by stuart, nottm
Friday, November 06 2009, 7:23PM
“does it matter if were winning 1-0 or 4-3? i would sooner win 1-0 and not concede than the latter. dextors play this season has been amazing. his hold up play plus the amount of headers he's winning has inproved big time. i really do h8 when people still moan even when were on a good run. unberlivable. the diamond formation IS the reason why were 7 unbeaten, you cant do that if you got 2 up front.”
by Phil, Hinckley
Friday, November 06 2009, 6:00PM
“Would you not agree though Tim, that the reason we're doing so well is 'cos we're not conceding rather that 'cos we're scoring. Dexter apart, the strikers haven't scored many - is that injuries, bad luck, taking time to gel or is it a midfield creation problem do you think ?”
by Tim Buxton, Melton Mowbray
Friday, November 06 2009, 5:00PM
“REDEX - But look at it like this, if he had tried Earnshaw and Dele, we may NOT have gone on the run we have, perhaps would of lost more matches. Billy is getting results with his choices, so you can't really say he's making a mistake... I'm not saying their nothing wrong with experimenting but Billy knows better than us...”
by REDEX...., NOTTS
Friday, November 06 2009, 8:51AM
“i hope he plays dele with earnshaw i think they are quality together and i cant get my head around the fact BD has not looked at this partnership much this season at all i think they showed signs of doing great things and seeing as they havent done to much seperatly BD is making a mistake by not trying them more often”