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Nottingham Forest teenager could be handed his first-team debut against Ipswich after Nuno hint Fri 28 February 2025 17:00 Nathan Hassett With the FA Cup getting closer to the latter stages, Nuno Espirito Santo will be thinking hard about his team selection to balance squad strength and rotation. While Chris Sutton expects Forest to beat Ipswich, it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion, given the difficult balance Espirito Santo will have to strike between keeping his stars fit and ready to face Manchester City the following Saturday. Taiwo Awoniyi has recovered from his injury against Exeter City in the previous round of the FA Cup, so he will be fighting for a starting spot. However, Jota Silva struggled against Exeter so a spot in the squad to face Ipswich won’t be guaranteed. A cup run would certainly be of interest to Forest fans, but the Reds boss may be reluctant to commit his first team to the tie with the tightness of the Premier League table, with four points separating Forest from dropping out of the Champions League places. The debate about team selection will rage on until the starting XI is announced, but Espirito Santo has just dropped a slight hint on his thoughts. Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images Nuno Espirito Santo could rotate once more for the FA Cup The opportunity of game time in the cup competitions is clearly an important one, evidenced by Ibrahim Sangare’s excellent performance against Exeter as he continued his rehabilitation from injury. Forest are into the deeper rounds of the cup now, though, but Espirito Santo showed no signs of thinking any differently about the tie when speaking to the press on Friday. He said: “It is a good opportunity for some players due to the schedule, but let’s assess and try to make a good decision for the game.” MORE FOREST STORIES When asked specifically about using the first team, the Forest manager’s response was particularly interesting, saying: “Everybody is first team – there is no difference between players. It’s always the approach for each game to see what is best and to assess – to see how the players are and to look at your opponent and try to make the good decision.” Whilst he could be referring to players such as Ramon Sosa, who hasn’t received too much football as of late, there is a possibility we could see an emerging talent from the Forest Academy seize their opportunity. Joel Ndala could seize Nottingham Forest FA Cup opportunity The complexity of Espirito Santo’s position in terms of the fixture list may mean he turns to his talented youth products, namely Joel Ndala. Ndala signed for Forest from Manchester City in the dying minutes of the January transfer window, initially on a loan but with the option for Forest to turn the deal into a permanent one. Amongst the shock, it was revealed that Ndala would feature for the Forest academy rather than immediately integrating into the first team, but with a permanent deal still in the balance, it could make sense to give the 18-year-old a senior run out. Ndala was quietly impressive on his Forest youth debut, and his raw talent is undeniable, so to truly be sure of the purchase, a cameo against Ipswich could be ideal for both Ndala and the Forest coaching staff to see what they could be working with. Joel Ndala Nuno Espirito Santo Related Posts More in Opinion More in Opinion About Us Meet The Team Contact Us Privacy Policy Editorial Policy Complaints Privacy Settings a proud member of © 2025 GRV Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved GRV Media Ltd, 18 Mulberry Avenue, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0WN Company No. 04155089 Read our Sustainability Statement

March 1, 2025 sportnet247 0

Nottingham Forest teenager could be handed his first-team debut against Ipswich after Nuno hint.   With the FA Cup getting closer to the latter stages, […]