2025-26 FA Cup: Third Round – Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest

Wrexham kick off the third round of 2025-26 FA Cup with a tricky home tie against Premier League strugglers, Nottingham Forest.

Victory would see Wrexham progress to the fourth round for the third time in four seasons, whilst Forest look to move past this stage for the third consecutive season.

 

Team News

Wrexham have no fresh injury concerns to report following their 2-1 Championship win at Derby.

Kieffer Moore (hamstring), Danny Ward (elbow), Lewis Brunt (thigh), Andy Cannon (ACL), Ryan Hardie, Aaron James and Elliot Lee (all knee) remain absent.

Paul Mullin has returned from his loan spell at Wigan but is unlikely to feature due to rules restricting him to only playing for two clubs in a single season, with manager – Phil Parkinson still weighing up the idea of sending him back out on loan later in the transfer window.

Forest have no fresh injury concerns to report following their 2-1 comeback Premier League victory at West Ham.

Willy Boly, Ibrahim Sangare (both international duty), John Victor (calf), Dan Ndoye (thigh), Chris Wood (knee) and Ryan Yates (hamstring) are still ruled out.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Wrexham host Forest at the Racecourse Ground on Friday 9 January at 7:30pm GMT, live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Wrexham won their only previous FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest by a 3-1 result away at this stage in January 1982.
• Forest are making their first FA Cup visit to Wrexham, although they drew 3-3 in their only previous visit in September 1993 in the first leg of their second round tie in 1993-94 League Cup.
• Neither team are yet to keep a clean sheet after their three previous meetings in all competitions.
• Wrexham have avoided defeat in four of their last six FA Cup meetings against Premier League opposition (W2, D2, L2), of which two ties went to replays.
• Forest have won their last four ties against EFL opposition (W4), although only one of those four ties didn’t need extra time – of which two resulted in victory via penalty shootouts.

 

Prediction

With just one defeat in their last 12 home games in all competitions, Wrexham can come into this game knowing that a cupset if possible if they are able to pressure Forest’s vulnerable defence, but they will need to be defensively solid because Forest are a good attacking team when on the ball with pace.

Forest though will surely make some changes with one eye on their fight for Premier League survival but with a seven-point gap to the drop after their comeback at West Ham, I think that Sean Dyche and the squad can afford to give this competition a fair go with the right attitude for now.

Throw in freezing conditions plus heavy rain in the hours leading up to the match and this could be a slow-burner in my view unless one team adapts to the conditions quickly, but Forest’s quality should really see them through but they will definitely be tested throughout the game.

Prediction: Wrexham 1-2 Nottingham Forest

Result: Wrexham 3-3 Nottingham Forest (Wrexham won 4-3 on penalties)