Forest shake up XI after Arsenal loss

Forest's defeat to Arsenal at the City Ground was the sort of result that tends to provoke a rethink, and Nuno has delivered one. Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenković are both recalled to the starting XI for the trip to Suffolk, while Ousmane Diomande drops to the bench. Nicolás Domínguez doesn't make the squad at all.

Why the changes matter

Milenković coming back into central defence is the bigger tactical signal here. Forest have conceded enough already this season to sit on a goal difference of minus four after seven games, and reinstating an experienced centre-back alongside a reshaped midfield points to Nuno wanting more control, not more chances taken. Gibbs-White's return gives Forest a direct creative outlet again after a game where they struggled to generate anything against Arsenal's defence.

Domínguez being left out entirely, rather than just benched, suggests a genuine reset in midfield balance rather than a minor rotation. It's the kind of call that only gets made after a manager watches a defeat and doesn't like what he sees.

Ipswich make their own tweaks

Ipswich Town have also made two changes to their own starting XI for this one, though the specifics of who comes in and who makes way weren't confirmed in the pre-match build-up. For a mid-table Premier League fixture at Portman Road, any lineup shuffle from the home side adds another layer to a game that already carries extra edge given Forest's current slump.

What's at stake

Forest head into this one needing a response more than they need a particular formation. Five points from seven games is the kind of start that puts a manager's job in the conversation if it doesn't turn around, and a trip to Ipswich, rather than a home game against the champions, is exactly the sort of fixture where Nuno will expect his reshaped XI to start putting points on the board.