Nottingham Forest are going into their game against Crystal Palace on Monday night without their star man Morgan Gibbs-White. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are coming back from the international break still in search of their first victory at home in the Premier League this season. So far, Forest have drawn twice at the City Ground and tasted defeat in their last home game to Fulham. Ironically, they are coming up against a Crystal Palace side on Monday who are in search of their first victory in the Premier League. However, it is not going to be a straight forward evening for the Reds with Nuno Espirito Santo serving a three-game sideline ban. But there will be one considerable absence from the starting XI with Gibbs-White also missing the game on Monday night. Gibbs-White has also been handed a one-match ban for his involvement in the sending off against Brighton & Hove Albion. However, Gibbs-White has also picked up an injury which had the midfielder walking on crutches during the international break. It is a real concern for those at Forest but it could also present a big opportunity for one of his teammates to show his ability in a more advanced role. Speaking to the media on Friday, Nuno has hinted towards Elliot Anderson potentially replacing Gibbs-White in his absence. “Yeah, we have a lot of decisions to make, options and solutions. We have good solutions,” said Nuno. “Not only Elliot. Many of our players went to international calls, some of them with good performances that give us good solutions for the game. Now we’re gonna have two days to decide.” Losing a player of Gibbs-White’s significance is a real frustrating issue for the Reds coming out of the international break. The Reds are, fortunately, going into a game which could be viewed as a great opportunity to get three points on the board. “It’s not in the right moment, he’s still injured. Hopefully for the next game he’s going to be available,” Nuno said on Friday. But in Anderson, Forest have a youngster who has been impressing massively for the England U21 side recently.
Gibbs-White's Ankle Injury: A Setback for Forest
Forest supporters have growing concerns Morgan Gibbs-White will not be passed fit to face Crystal Palace. Forest have been forced to contend with an injury to their captain, sustained in the last match against Chelsea, over the international break. With the club's Premier League return delayed compared to some rivals - the game against Palace is scheduled for Monday night - there is hope he will make it back in time. “I hope for the best,” Nuno Espirito Santo said, however a new update spotted by fans is striking fear of the worst outcome - that Gibbs-White will not recover in time to line up against the Eagles. The update in question is a video posted to TikTok by the No. 10's girlfriend Britney De Villiers on Wednesday evening of the pair together. It showed him balancing on crutches with a protective boot over his right foot. If he does prove to be unavailable for Palace of course other options will have to be explored. The natural answer would seem to be to hand Elliot Anderson a start in his favoured central creative midfield role, but there is fair possibility of mixing up the attack by playing any one of the wing talents out of position. Nuno is also waiting on a positive fitness update for goalkeeper Matz Sels before Monday, who like Gibbs-White was forced to pull out of international duty over the October break.
Gibbs-White's Absence Complicates Forest's Tactics
Morgan Gibbs-White wouldn't have been allowed to feature against Crystal Palace this coming Monday night irrespective of whether the playmaker was fit or not - and now everything is being towards getting the Nottingham Forest star ready for the clash with East Midlands rivals Leicester next Friday. Gibbs-White limped off in the draw against Chelsea in the final match before Forest's international break, and he was forced to pull out of Lee Carsley's England squad as a consequence. News arrived on Friday that both Nuno Espirito Santo and Gibbs-White had been sanctioned by the FA for their conduct in the draw at Brighton and Hove Albion earlier this season; Gibbs-White was sent off by referee Rob Jones on the day and he has received an extra game ban, while Nuno will serve a three-game touch-line suspension. It means that Gibbs-White, who many Forest supporters hoped might be able to feature against Palace at the City Ground on Monday, was never going to be available to Nuno, but they make the short journey to Leicester on Friday night and Nuno and Forest's medical, staff, as well as Gibbs-White himself, are taking the recovery process a day at a time. “He's still injured. Hopefully for the next game he's going to be available,” Nuno told Sky Sports. “It was in the game against Chelsea. He went out with a lot of pain He’s still recovering, he’s getting much better day by day, but it’s still going to take some time. “It’s always a day by day assessment, it’s with the medical department and the player to see how he is. For Palace, he’s not available.”
Nottingham Forest's Injury Crisis Continues: The impact of losing Gibbs-White
The Forest captain has been on the sidelines with an injury he sustained in the last match against Chelsea, with him resting over the international break. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo said, “I hope for the best,” when asked about the midfielder’s condition and if he would be available for Monday, but after social media footage emerged it looks like Gibbs-White is unlikely to start. A video posted to TikTok by the No.10's girlfriend Britney De Villiers on Wednesday evening showed the pair together. However, the Forest star had a protective boot over his right foot as he hobbled on crutches suggesting he could not put pressure on his injury. If Gibbs-White cannot put pressure on his foot then it is almost certain that he cannot play 90 minutes for Forest meaning they will have to replace him with the likely candidate being Elliott Anderson who has had limited starts since joining from Newcastle United.
The Future is Bright: How Forest Can Overcome this Challenge
Although this is probably the best squad that Forest have had since winning promotion back to the Premier League, losing quality players isn’t ideal. Forest have a lot of quality in the squad but it’s fair to say that Gibbs-White is the player who makes the Reds tick in the final third. The Reds already have Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare missing long term and it’s vital that Gibbs-White can get back on the pitch as quickly as possible. Forest face Palace tonight and then Leicester on Friday. As a result, there is no time to waste and hopefully, Gibbs-White sitting out tonight means he can play in the next one.
