Midfielder Elliot Anderson failed to appear at Nottingham Forest’s Wednesday morning practice session as the team prepares for their Europa League quarter-final encounter. The club plays host to Porto at the City Ground on Thursday evening at 8pm for the decisive second leg of their last-eight tie. The opening leg in Portugal concluded in a 1-1 draw last week, meaning everything remains up for grabs in this contest. Manager Vitor Pereira is expected to make changes to his starting lineup, following the pattern he has established in prior European matches. The Portuguese coach will also be keeping Thursday’s Premier League fixture at home to Burnley in mind.
It is unclear whether Anderson will be fit to take on Porto. The England international did not participate as his colleagues trained at the Nigel Doughty Academy. Anderson’s absence stemmed from personal circumstances and it is uncertain whether he will also miss Thursday’s match. Pereira is slated to provide an update on the player’s fitness during his pre-match media briefing later today.
Injured players Willy Boly and John Victor undertook separate rehabilitation work away from the main squad. Defensive player Boly potentially played his final match for the organization as his contract expires at season’s end, and he was left out of Forest’s updated squad lists for the remainder of the campaign. Goalkeeper Victor is anticipated to be unavailable for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. Full-back Nicolo Savona was also absent from the media-attended open training session, with the Italian expected to miss the season’s concluding matches following knee surgery.
This could prove a pivotal week for Forest on their home ground. They began positively by securing a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday. Neco Williams’ late goal earned Pereira’s side a point against the high-performing Villans. With six matches left to play, Forest sit three points clear of the relegation zone. Pereira has emphasized that securing the club’s Premier League survival remains his main focus. However, advancing to the European semi-finals would represent a significant achievement, potentially setting up another meeting with Villa.