Nottingham Forest host top-four chasing Newcastle United at the City Ground in Friday Night Football.
Victory would see Forest climb to 12th before Wolves play on Saturday afternoon, whilst Newcastle can stay fifth and move to within one point of fourth-placed Tottenham with a win.
Team News
Brennan Johnson is a doubt for Forest after he limped out of their 3-1 defeat at Tottenham with a groin injury
Wayne Hennessey (knee) and Cheikhou Kouyate (hamstring) are doubts but Gustavo Scarpa (personal) and Chris Wood (thigh/ineligible) are ruled out.
Dean Henderson (muscle), Giulian Biancone (knee), Omar Richards (leg), Willy Boly, Scott McKenna (both hamstring) and Taiwo Awoniyi (groin) remain absent.
Newcastle will be again without Anthony Gordon after he missed their win over Wolves due to an ankle injury.
Joelinton (suspension), Ryan Fraser (personal) and Emil Krafth (knee) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Forest host Newcastle in a 8pm GMT kick-off at the City Ground on Friday 17 March, live on Sky Sports in UK.
Stat Attack
- Forest are winless in nine previous Premier League meetings against Newcastle (D3, L6).
- Newcastle are unbeaten in four previous Premier League visits to Forest (W1, D3).
- Forest have scored in just one of their last five previous Premier League meetings against Newcastle, which came in a 2-1 defeat at home in March 1999.
- Forest are unbeaten in their last nine league games at home (W4, D5), of which three of their five draws finished in a 1-1 result.
- Newcastle have failed to score in three of their four league matches away from home in 2023 (D3, L1), only scoring in a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth in February.
Prediction
Forest’s trip to Tottenham was always likely to end in defeat but I thought they played well overall with a deserved consolatory goal, despite obviously being outclassed with their errors mainly coming from defensively playing a high line up the pitch.
Newcastle meanwhile looked more back to their attacking best with strong fluidity in the play and clinical finishing against Wolves, amidst solid defending if lucky at times despite conceding an equalising goal so I do expect them to come out and chase a crucial win if want a top-four finish.
Forest though have proven difficult to beat at home in recent months and with Keylor Navas in excellent goalkeeping form, I do expect Newcastle to require patience and resilience but they should have enough to snatch the win if Johnson doesn’t feature for the hosts.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Newcastle United
Result: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Newcastle United
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