Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has expressed his dissatisfaction with the scheduling of the club's FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton & Hove Albion. The match, set to take place at the Amex Stadium with a 5:15 pm kick-off, is a pivotal one for the Reds, as they are just one victory away from securing a trip to Wembley and their first semi-final appearance in the FA Cup since 1991.
However, the timing of this weekend's cup fixtures has raised concerns, as many players will be returning to their clubs after international duty. Forest had 14 members of their first-team squad involved in international matches over the past two weeks, and they are also preparing for an important Premier League game against Manchester United on Tuesday evening (8:00 pm kick-off).
Asked if the Football Association had done enough to protect the world’s oldest cup competition, Nuno said: "I don't understand the reasons behind the decisions of us playing. Not only us, but look at Fulham and Crystal Palace playing at 12.15 on Saturday, so an even shorter period of time and it's very difficult.
"I don't know the reasons behind the decision and I don't acknowledge what was there. In terms of preparation for the club, it's very hard.
"The schedule is very difficult. It's very difficult. It's not easy to return from an international break and then play such an important game on a Saturday when you don't have any time at all.
"What we do is try to create our own routines for the players that were here and worked very hard during the week. We create this programme so the players who come back can be integrated into the flow of the group. This is how we approach it."
Nottingham Forest will be without striker Chris Wood for the match against Brighton due to a hip injury he picked up while representing New Zealand. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo will also need to make decisions regarding players like Ramon Sosa (Paraguay), Murillo (Brazil), and Ola Aina (Nigeria), who returned late from their international duties earlier in the week.
Nuno places a high value on the FA Cup, and while Forest are currently eyeing a Champions League spot thanks to their impressive league form, their upcoming clash with Brighton remains a key focus for the team.
2 Comments (last comment by Adem)
First read message
By Adem 29 Mar 2025 08:43
Stop complaining. He should count himself lucky to be in a position where he doesn’t really deserve to be as a manager. Essentially, he’s failed everywhere, and it’s his strong squad that makes it seem like he’s doing a good job.
By identty 29 Mar 2025 08:44
Curious how they will set-up without Wood.
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