Nottingham Forest will meet Fulham at the City Ground tonight, searching for their first Premier League success in nearly two months.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s team has not won all three points in England’s top-flight since a 2-0 win against West Ham United on February 17th. The Reds need the points to avoid relegation.
Forest came back against Crystal Palace on Saturday, earning a crucial point and leapfrogging Luton Town out of the relegation zone.
Tonight is a fantastic opportunity for the club to move farther away from the bottom, with Nuno’s team needing to make the City Ground a fortress between now and the conclusion of the season.
However, one player must be dropped for the encounter with Marco Silva’s side, with the fan-favourite looking past his best at the weekend.
Felipe needs to be dropped against Fulham
Since joining the club in January 2023, Brazilian defender Felipe has won the hearts of the Forest faithful with his outstanding performances towards the end of the 2022/23 season.
However, he has had a much rougher season this time around, with the former Atlético Madrid centre-back struggling with ailments in recent months.
He has only managed to feature seven times in the Premier League, with the 34-year-old starting to look past his best. The defender even hinted at his retirement from professional football last month, with the defender set to leave the club this summer.
Although he managed to win 12 duels during the draw against Palace at the weekend, Felipe was arguably at fault for Jean-Philippe Mateta’s strike, with the Brazilian needlessly being dragged out of position in the build-up to the goal.
Felipe received a 5/10 rating for his performance against Oliver Glasner’s side, with Nottinghamshire Live writer Sarah Clapson describing him as “shaky”.
That being considered, Nuno should replace the Brazilian for tonight’s match against Fulham, with one Forest man deserving a recall to the starting lineup.
The man to replace Felipe
Fellow centre-back Andrew Omobamidele had to wait four months after joining Forest to make his full debut.
He earned his first start in the 3-2 FA Cup third-round replay against Blackpool, and the 21-year-old scored on his debut.
He has gone on to be a hit under Nuno, starting on five occasions in the Premier League, with Omobamidele starting alongside Murillo in each of his appearances.
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