Nottingham Forest vs Wolves preview, team news and prediction

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Nottingham Forest will be looking to boost their Premier League survival chances when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers at the City Ground on Wednesday night. Forest currently sit 17th in the table, three points above 18th-placed West Ham United, while Wolves find themselves at the bottom, trailing Forest by 18 points.

Forest head into this crucial fixture on the back of a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Leeds United, following a home draw against Crystal Palace. Under Sean Dyche, Forest have recorded seven wins, five draws, and 13 losses from 25 league games, giving them 26 points—just enough to keep their heads above the relegation zone for now. Their home form has been underwhelming, with only 12 points collected from 12 matches at the City Ground, ranking 16th in the league.

However, they will be facing a Wolves side with the worst away record in the division—just three points from 12 away games and no wins to their name on the road this season. The significance of this match for Forest’s survival hopes cannot be overstated, but the Premier League is not their only focus. Dyche’s men are also set to face Fenerbahce in the Europa League knockout round playoffs, with the first leg scheduled in Turkey on February 19.

Wolves, meanwhile, have endured a torrid campaign, with just one win, five draws, and 19 defeats from 25 matches, leaving them anchored to the bottom of the table on eight points—18 adrift of safety. Barring a miraculous turnaround, Wolves are set for Championship football next season, though the club will be aiming for an immediate return given their January transfer activity.

Rob Edwards’ side come into this match after a 3-1 home defeat to Chelsea, marking their third consecutive Premier League loss. Their only league victory this season came against West Ham at the start of January. Wolves are winless in their last seven meetings with Forest in all competitions, including a 1-0 defeat at Molineux earlier this season. They have not won a league fixture at the City Ground since a Championship encounter in September 2017, highlighting the size of the challenge they face on Wednesday night.

Sean Dyche's side go into the match as the odds-on favourite with Forest priced at 7/10 with William Hill to win it at the City Ground while Wolves are 19/5 to grab a win and a draw is 13/5.

Forest are optimistic that key defender Murillo will recover from a calf injury in time for Wednesday’s match, while Neco Williams is available again after serving a suspension. Matz Sels is a doubt and will undergo a late fitness test on a troublesome hip, while John Victor, Chris Wood, and Nicolo Savona have all been ruled out of contention.

Elliot Anderson, who continues to attract transfer interest, is set to feature in central midfield, and Lorenzo Lucca could be handed his first start at centre-forward after scoring his debut goal for Forest in the recent defeat to Leeds.

For Wolves, Hwang Hee-chan picked up a hamstring injury against Chelsea on Saturday and is now facing a spell on the sidelines. Toti Gomes remains unavailable due to a thigh issue, but the visitors are hopeful that Andre will shake off a calf problem in time to play in central midfield.

Angel Gomes may be shifted to a wide position to cover for Hee-chan’s absence, while Mateus Mane is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup after impressing for Wolves since breaking into the first team and attracting the attention of several top clubs.

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