Nottingham Forest

Ella Gibbs
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Glasner provided an update on the fitness of Nikola Milenkovic and Igor Jesus: "Milenkovic has a bone bruise and will miss the game, he can't train. Jesus has a muscle injury in his calf and will be out for a few weeks."

• He added: "All Internationals came back fit and healthy. Neco Williams returned well and trained with us yesterday, but did not feel well and got fever in the night. We will see how he recovers."

• On facing his former club Crystal Palace: "There are mixed emotions and I have fantastic memories of more than two years there. Great memories of the fans, of the times we had together and the wonderful staff I had met there."

• Glasner added that his time with the Eagles was "two very successful and great years of my life" and he will be giving hugs before and after the game to Palace staff. He hopes to be able to do that at Forest in a few years too.

• On the match itself, the Forest boss "expects a very tight game" and that "you know the weaknesses but it's all theory - how can we transfer that to the pitch? That's the most important part."

• On moving leaving Palace to become head coach at Forest: "I took the decision to become Nottingham Forest manager, it was never a decision between Palace and Forest. When it was time to renew my contract I decided not to for different reasons. In the summer when I thought about it, could I be Oliver Glasner there, how I want to be, managing with my strengths and qualities? And that's why I'm now here."

• Glasner said he is "not satisfied" with the points the Reds have and where they are in the table, but "complaining never helps, we have to be critical, the facts never lie. It our responsibility to take advantage from this."

• He offered his opinion on the guilty verdict, external handed to Manchester City: "I can react on the final verdict, but in general, if somebody cheats they need to get punished. If not, then not. I think we all hope for the integrity of the game and of the Premier League that the final verdict is spoken soon."

Listen to live commentary of the game on from 14:00 BST on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Find more from Glasner on BBC Sounds here

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Just five games in, it might seem a bit early to pay much attention to the Premier League table - but it's probably more settled than you think.

If we look at the Premier League after five games last season and where teams ultimately ended up, the final table was already starting to take shape as 13 of the 20 sides finished within four places of where they sat even at this early stage (65%).

Eventual champions Arsenal were second, Sunderland were already seventh - where they finished eight months later - and two of the three sides that were relegated were already in the bottom three.

The eventual champions have been in the top two at this point in the past four campaigns, suggesting - potential punishments aside - it will be Manchester City or Arsenal that lifts the trophy.

The top end of the table overall has sometimes settled surprisingly quickly in recent years. The top eight after five games in 2024-25 finished as the top eight at the end of that season (although not in the same order), while the top six in 2019-20 and top seven in 2016-17 were also in place at this early stage.

While being top after five games has not meant much in recent seasons, being bottom certainly has.

Tottenham could well be in trouble once again as the side bottom of the Premier League after five games has been relegated in six of the past seven seasons.

Being bottom this early did not used to be such a bad omen. Between 2013-14 and 2018-19, only one of the six sides that were propping up the table after five games ended up going down - Newcastle in 2015-16 - while Crystal Palace finished as high as 11th in 2017-18.

Looking at the relegation battle more broadly, at least one of the teams in the bottom three at this stage has been relegated in the past eight seasons - so one of Tottenham, Fulham and Coventry City are very likely to be heading to the Championship in May.

The pool of contestants for this season's relegation battle may already be decided too because the three sides that ultimately went down in the past three seasons were all in the bottom six after five games, which would add Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to the mix.

The last sides to be outside the bottom six at this point but relegated were Leeds United and Southampton in 2022-23, who were both in the top half (seventh and ninth). With their teams currently in eighth and 11th place, Hull City and Ipswich Town fans will hope that is still the case at the end of this campaign.

While the season may well have barely begun, the Premier League table is already starting to take shape.

Read the piece in full here

Newcastle United are favourites to beat Nottingham Forest to the signing of Lyon midfielder Tyler Morton. The 23-year-old is impressing in France after leaving Liverpool last year. (Football Insider), external

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Oliver Glasner should return to Crystal Palace on Sunday as a hero.

With the Eagles he won the FA Cup, Europa Conference League and the Community Shield to etch his name into Selhurst Park history. His final match in charge was that 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig in May.

Yet his summer move to Nottingham Forest, after opting to leave Palace at the of last season, has left his legacy tarnished in the eyes of Eagles fans.

A new modern-day rivalry means the reception he gets when Forest travel to Selhurst Park on Sunday could be mixed.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is currently suing Palace over a banner which was unfurled by home supporters at Selhurst Park last season.

That animosity grew from when Forest took Palace's spot in the Europa League for 2025-26 due to Palace breaching Uefa's multi-club ownership rules.

Of course, that inadvertently helped Glasner lift the Europa Conference League, following Palace's demotion into that competition.

Because of that success and others - leaving him as the most successful manager in Palace's history - the Austrian deserves to be lauded in south London on Sunday afternoon.

Palace owner Steve Parish has urged fans to give him a "fantastic reception" and ignore the "pantomime narratives".

He is right, Glasner left and moved on to something else, that is the nature of the game. He is not the first and will not be the last.

Of course part of football is tribal rivalry but Glasner deserves to be recognised for what he achieved, not to be painted as the villain after so much success with Palace.

Image source, Getty Images

A number of Premier League clubs want Manchester City to be hit with both "retrospective punishments" and sanctions for the future for their mass financial rule-breaking, sources have told BBC Sport.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

City have appealed against the verdict, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is poised to look at the findings to see if there may be any suggestions of potential misconduct.

However, there is said to be a consensus among a group of top-flight club executives that if City's appeal is unsuccessful, the sanctions should make reparations for the period when they broke the rules, while also limiting their powers in future.

There is also a feeling from at least four Premier League boardrooms that a "one-hit" points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would be an insufficient punishment given the severity of City's wrongdoing.

Read more on what rival clubs want

Content creator and Nottingham Forest fan Ellie Molloson gives her damning verdict on the charges against Manchester City: "As a Nottingham Forest fan, I don't want to see Manchester City back in the Premier League for at least 10 years.

"In the 2023-24 season, Forest were given a four-point deduction for breaching financial fair play and profitability and sustainability rules.

"We got a four-point deduction, and we were in a really scary relegation battle that season.

"For a considerable chunk of the season, those four points were going to send us down. Admittedly, the football wasn't great. However, we needed every point that we got.

"Man City did not co-operate with the Premier League, and City actively hid up to £900m in revenue that they did not earn. £900m across nine seasons...

"Man City had nine seasons of stolen memories, stolen trophies. They do not deserve the credit they have been given."

Listen to more from Molloson below or on BBC Sounds here

Liverpool and Chelseahave joined the race to sign Nottingham Forest's Brazilian defender Murillo but the 24-year-old will not be allowed to leave the City Ground in January. (Football Insider), external

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Image source, Getty Images

"I try to remind my players that we are all living our childhood dreams and we should never forget that," said Oliver Glasner after he welcomed local grassroots coaches and schoolchildren to Nottingham Forest's training ground over the international break.

Callum Hudson-Odoi, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Ryan Yates were among the first-team players in attendance, taking part in an initiative aimed at "further strengthening the connection between the club and the local community".

"It is very important to be accessible to grassroots coaches and kids," Glasner told BBC Radio Nottingham. "Everything usually happens behind closed doors, so if there's ever an opportunity then I'm always open to it.

"I can't talk about what other managers do. All I know is I'm enjoying what I'm doing. I like to be here at the training ground, whether that's with the players, my staff or the other people who work here.

"I'm a human being just like everyone else. We all want the same thing, we all want to be successful, so it's important to create an environment here where everybody feels welcome. That's just how I am."

On the importance of grassroots football, the Forest boss said: "It is where football starts. It is responsible for developing all of the kids in the villages where they grow up.

"It is also important to have coaches who love the kids and love football. The wider the foundation is, the higher the top level gets. It was great to have the coaches here because they are so important to football."

He added: "I love training with kids because I love their enthusiasm. It is just pure joy because life is all about football for them. It really reminds me of when I was a boy - I was playing football all day, whether it was at school or at home.

"When I see children laughing, smiling and having fun, it is the best. Unfortunately we forget that football is supposed to be fun sometimes because of the environment that we're in.

"There will always be pressure for me to perform, of course, but I try to remind my players that we are all living our childhood dreams and we should never forget that."

Listen to the full interview by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here

Since Leo Bonatini became Nottingham Forest's first ever Brazilian to join the club in 2019, the Reds have remarkably signed 14 players from the football-famous country.

In a competitive market where clubs aim to identify a bright new spark - Forest have targeted South America continuously since Bonatini's arrival.

On BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up And Show More Football podcast, football commentator, scout and author Jon Cotterill, who is based in South America, gave an insight into why the Garibaldis target Brazilian players.

"One of the things it probably started with was Ross Wilson," he explained.

"I met him at Southampton. I think it was from him and his contacts in Brazil and in South America. A few of them have gone to Newcastle with him. It was around that time when things started to pick up South American wise."

Former chief executive Wilson was at the club between 2023 and 2025, but he is now Newcastle United's sporting director.

"It has always been the case that clubs have known about South Americans," added Cotterill.

"In terms of visas, a long time ago, you had to fork out at least £10m to get a South American. Maybe he had to be an international player as well. If he wasn't, you would have to go through a tribunal for special talent."

Forest currently have four Brazilian players as part of their Premier League squad; John Victor, Murillo, Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus.

Glasner's side also have Brazilians Cuiabano and Morato on respective loans at Vasco da Gama and West Ham.

"League Two clubs can now sign South Americans with ease," Cotterill added.

"The market has changed. I think it is down to Wilson and that period when they started to look at the South American market."

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

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Nottingham Forest, Roma and Napoli targetDodo, 27, looks set to secure a move away from Fiorentina in Janaury, with several clubs interested in the Brazilian full-back. (La Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

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We asked you to send in your questions for football reporter Nick Mashiter to answer. In the second of a two-part Q&A on Wednesday, he addresses whether Forest will survive this season and why Oliver Glasner keeps changing his side.

Paul: Why on earth did Glasner ditch a winning combination of Ola Aina and Daniel Munoz on the right side of the pitch against Coventry after it worked so well against Aston Villa? Cunha on the right of the three centre backs just doesn't work either from a defensive point of view, or, more importantly, in making us a progressive team going forward.

Nick: Just like his players are getting to know him, Glasner is still understanding them, although, of course, he worked with Daniel Munoz at Crystal Palace.

Ola Aina, playing in the back three at Aston Villa, was more of an emergency measure with Nikola Milenkovic and Jair Cunha out injured, so it was probably expected Glasner would make a tweak against Coventry, especially as Cunha had started the previous three Premier League games.

Hindsight is wonderful. Glasner would have taken on board what worked and what didn't, and it will help him form his thoughts and plans going forward.

Image source, Getty Images

Jack: Will we survive?

Nick: Straight to the point there, Jack. I don't see another season of real struggle for Forest. Sadly, there is no European football this year, but that will help the squad mentally and physically as they adapt to what Oliver Glasner wants.

Glasner said he is no magician, and he cannot just wave a wand and everything clicks, but his track record and the Forest squad give me the confidence they will be absolutely fine.

After the past few years, it's not exciting, but a season of anonymity could be useful for Forest, to settle and to give Glasner that foundation to move the club and squad forward.

On the latest Shut Up And Show More Football podcast BBC Radio Nottingham's David Jackson is joined by football commentator, scout and author Jon Cotterill.

Forest currently have six Brazilian players playing under Oliver Glasner and Cotterill gives an in-depth insight into the rise of Brazilian players playing at the City Ground.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Nottingham Forest content on BBC Sounds

We asked you to send in your questions for football reporter Nick Mashiter to answer. In the first of a two-part Q&A on Wednesday, he addresses what success looks like at Nottingham Forest this campaign and what Oliver Glasner's team need to do to produce strong performances.

Will: What do you think represents success for Glasner this season? If we trend as we are into Christmas, do you think the owner will look to replace him, or will Glasner be given the full season regardless, assuming we're not close to relegation?

Nick: After last season, Forest desperately need stability, and it would be a huge surprise to see the manager leave, unless it is an irretrievable situation.

The investment in him would make it an expensive change anyway, but it is way too soon to be thinking about anything like that.

Glasner has rejected any suggestions of a quick fix, and he should. Promising easy solves to complicated issues is foolish.

In terms of a successful campaign, that could be subjective. Already out of the Carabao Cup, they only have the FA Cup to aim for if they want silverware, but a steady season, with clear progress both in terms of playing style and results, can still be considered a success.

Consistency has been in short supply, so I would love to see a stable and consistent Forest this season.

Image source, Getty Images

Tom: What do we need to do to make our City Ground strong again and make us hard to beat at home?

Nick: Forest only won four home games in the Premier League last term, and they have lost 28 out of 79 at the City Ground since returning to the top flight in 2022.

That is 35% of their games, while they have won 26 of 79 (32%), so it can be argued the City Ground has not been consistently strong recently - 2024-25 being the exception.

It's a hard question to answer because there is no single thing which can explain what they can do or what they have to do, but over the next few years we will see a huge change at the City Ground with the planned expansion and that will also change the dynamic at home.

The defeats by Leeds and Coventry, and the Tottenham draw, were frustrating, but perhaps a byproduct of Forest still learning and growing under Oliver Glasner.

The next three home games are against Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, but looking at the results at Villa Park and Anfield, Forest can get results and time together can only help them improve.

Come back to this page later on Wednesday for part two of the Q&A, which will focus on whether Forest will survive this season and why Glasner keeps changing his side.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Nottingham Forest FC

Young striker Michael Noonan will join Nottingham Forest from Shamrock Rovers next year.

The 18-year-old has penned a pre-contract agreement and will officially move to the City Ground on 1 January.

Noonan has scored eight times for Shamrock this season, with Rovers second in the League of Ireland.

The forward also played in five of Shamrock's European games in the Champions League and Conference League qualifiers

His goal against Molde in February 2025 made him the youngest scorer in the Conference League's history and the second youngest in a Uefa club competition.

Chief Football Officer, George Syrianos, said: "Michael is a player we, along with a number of other clubs, have followed closely for some time, so we're delighted he has chosen Nottingham Forest.

"Recruiting high-potential young players is central to our long-term vision for the academy. We want the academy to be a genuine pathway to the first team, and that means bringing in the right talent early and giving them a clear, individual plan to get there.

"We look forward to welcoming Michael and his family to Forest and to supporting his development in the years ahead."

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League has opened a Pandora's box of problems which cannot be closed. However well-intentioned, however morally upright they mean to be, the way the product is perceived around the planet by fans will be negatively affected.

This looks like a gigantic mess, but could also become a bit of a joke, especially if they attempt to rewrite history, and change the winners' names on the Premier League and cup trophies over these past 15 years. I wouldn't want the engraver's job.

I believe financial rules brought in to prioritise financial sustainability were also aimed at limiting the money being spent by the clubs, especially the staggering, ever-inflating sums spent on sometimes fairly average players. It could lead to a de facto salary cap, which many fans would approve of.

The long-term problem for the league is easy to see here: if the top players are then offered significantly more money to play elsewhere, they will be off before you can say 'man on'.

I always thought the Premier League had taken a huge risk going down this regulatory road. As with Manchester City's future, nobody knows what the real long-term ramifications will be.

I have a suspicion it could end up being the greatest own goal in the sport's entire history.

The big take: If City are cast out of England's top leagues, what might the owners do – hang around the lower reaches, or find something else? Wasn't there the idea of a Super League? Keep that thought in the back of your mind.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

Most of the time it is not that big a deal if you go into the international break having just lost a club game if I am honest, as teams lose games frequently.

That is just the life of a professional footballer. You have to be able to cope with disappointment as an individual and as a team.

‌Admittedly, players will sometimes say that they want another domestic game quickly, but it is almost always specifically after a 'bad' defeat as opposed to just a run-of-the-mill loss.

‌However, if the team has genuinely played terribly, or lost a game they were expected to win comfortably, you will commonly hear the phrase "we want to have a chance to get back out there and put it right quickly".

‌Players who have had a stinker, even if their team won, might also want to get out again as soon as possible to put it right in front of their fans, or 'reset'. The 'reset' argument is just current football jargon to say, "we will try to get it right next time, and we blew it this week, sorry".

‌The international break can also have the beneficial effect of taking your mind away from a bad defeat. This is not to say that you don't care, it is just that you must compartmentalise your thoughts and feelings. Footballers are among the best at this.

‌You simply cannot go to play for your national team and spend the time brooding about what happened against Brentford last week. That way lies madness and another poor performance, only this time in front of the entire nation.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

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Manchester City arranged "sham contracts" with a number of its commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m, the Premier League says.

The League confirmed that City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

An independent commission found that, during that time period, the club arranged the "sham contracts" as well as "relying on sham agreements to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs".

The club continues to deny any wrongdoing and has until Friday to appeal.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade.

"It also vindicates the Premier League's decision to pursue this case against Manchester City. While the process to date has been both long and difficult, the League has remained determined that the facts be established independently.

"It is a key responsibility of the Premier League to ensure that the Rules, approved by the clubs themselves, are upheld to protect the integrity of the competition. It is paramount that the League remains competitive and fair for all clubs and for the fans. We take that role extremely seriously.

"This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history. There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches. Now we have the Commission's decision, we are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the League, our clubs and fans."

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Oliver Glasner's reign at Nottingham Forest is now well underway, with his side picking up five points from the opening five games of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

And with the international break in full flow, what better time than now to ask BBC Sport football reporter Nick Mashiter your burning questions on the Reds.

They could be on the squad, injury concerns, Glasner's tactics, the boardroom or a topic of your choice.

Nick will be on hand to answer a selection next week.

Get in touch with your question here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked you to rate Nottingham Forest's start to the season and tell us what Oliver Glasner should be focusing on during this extended international break.

Here are some of your comments:

Sean: It's been a fairly mediocre start to the season. Could have and probably should have beaten Leeds but didn't, same with Tottenham, a creditable draw with Liverpool and a win against 10-man Aston Villa with most of their team now at Chelsea, then that embarrassment of a performance against Coventry City.

Mark: Highly disappointing season so far with a dash of positive surprises. Problem seems to be with the players, who apparently don't have the desire to get to the next level.

Andy: Nothing much to inspire me as of yet, but it's early days. We showed character in the Villa game, but then showed poor defending against Coventry. I think Glasner will get us to mid-table and bring out the best in Delap, Jesus and, hopefully, Ndoye. Don't think Woods will get a look-in.

Liam: Can occasionally see the system Glasner is trying to implement. When they get it right, it's good - but when it's wrong, it's not a pretty watch. Optimistic this will just take a few months, but a very average start.

Al: Having supported Forest all my life and it's difficult to get to upset or carried away by five games. However, Saturday was one of the most lacklustre performances I've witnessed - and I include us fans in that. The famous atmosphere is gone. Do we wait for the team to give us something to cheer about? Or do we get behind them regardless?

Image source, Getty Images

Morgan Gibbs-White now has a "fantastic opportunity" to impress England boss Thomas Tuchel, having been called up late to the squad after other players pulled out, says BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast, Fray said: "This is the second time that he's been called up late and was left out of the original squad.

"Tuchel saying we've just got too many number 10s doesn't explain why he's picking X, Y and Z over Gibbs-White. Whatever the reason, he's obviously had to force his way in by whichever means possible.

"Now he's got this fabulous opportunity in an elongated break with four matches. You would think Tuchel will spread the workload around, especially at this stage of the season. I'm sure all the club managers are hoping that that's what happens."

Listen to the full episode of Shut Up And Show More Football, which also includes an interview with ex-Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi, below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Nottingham Forest content on BBC Sounds

Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Brighton are monitoring Lyon's 23-year-old midfielder Tyler Morton. (Teamtalk), external

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As we enter the season's first international break, we want to hear your thoughts on the opening five games in the Premier League.

It has been a mixed start to life under Oliver Glasner for Nottingham Forest, with one win, two draws and two losses from his first five matches in charge.

The optimism bought by the impressive win at Aston Villa has been somewhat dampened by Saturday's disappointing home defeat by promoted Coventry City.

Glasner plays a back three and it might be taking some time for Forest's players to get used to the system, so it might be that they become a more fluent side as the season progresses.

How do you rate Forest's start to the season and why? And what should Glasner be focusing on during the extended break?

Get in touch with your views here