Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest – News and Probable Lineups

Both teams come into this fixture buoyed by narrow 1-0 victories in their latest outings, as Chelsea and Nottingham Forest prepare to meet at Stamford Bridge for a unique Monday Premier League clash.

This bank holiday encounter features a Chelsea squad currently enduring a dismal streak of five consecutive losses in the league, facing off against a Nottingham Forest team eager to secure a remarkable fifth successive win across all competitions.

Match overview

With Chelsea’s ownership engaged in a phase of “self reflection” after the early dismissal of Liam Rosenior, the resilient Calum McFarlane and his players have been celebrating their advancement to the FA Cup final, having ousted Leeds United.

Enzo Fernandez’s header in the first half at Wembley ended Chelsea’s three-match goal drought and rightfully sent the managerless Blues to the showpiece, where they will face the perennial finalists Manchester City, standing in the way of a much-needed morale-boosting trophy.

Despite the presence of high-profile figures such as Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Andoni Iraola, and Marco Silva, McFarlane’s brief tenure has not harmed his managerial prospects, and the 40-year-old’s next challenge is to prevent Chelsea from making unwanted history.

Having lost each of their past five Premier League matches without scoring, Chelsea faces the prospect of a sixth consecutive league defeat without finding the net for the first time in history, a result that would also devastate their hopes of finishing in the top five of the Premier League standings.

The hosts come into the weekend positioned closer to 16th than to the top five based on points, though their Champions League hopes would not be entirely dashed by a defeat, as a sixth-place finish could still be achievable if Aston Villa secures a top-five finish and wins the Europa League.

Nottingham Forest, eager to prevent that scenario from materializing, holds a half-time lead in their Europa League semi-final against the Villans, whom they narrowly defeated 1-0 in Thursday’s first leg.

Chris Wood’s penalty in the second half proved crucial at City Ground, allowing Vitor Pereira’s squad to extend their impressive winning streak to four games across all competitions and their unbeaten run to nine matches.

While safety is not fully guaranteed for the Garibaldi, they will remain clear of the relegation zone no matter the outcome of the bank holiday fixtures, thanks to an impressive haul of 12 points from the last 18 available in the league.

Pereira’s team featured dominant victories, including a 5-0 thrashing of Sunderland, a 4-1 win over Burnley, and a 3-0 success against Tottenham Hotspur, scoring three or more goals in three of their last four Premier League matches, matching their total from the previous 29 games.

Moreover, Nottingham Forest has not tasted defeat in a league match at Stamford Bridge since their promotion in 2022. However, Chelsea secured a 3-0 victory at City Ground in October, leading to the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou.

Team News

Following the returns of Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro from muscular injuries at Wembley, Chelsea has received a double boost defensively, as Reece James (thigh) and Levi Colwill (ACL) could potentially be part of the squad on Monday night.

However, both players are not expected to start yet, as Colwill is still working on regaining his fitness after an extended absence, while McFarlane has urged caution regarding James given his troubling injury history.

Filip Jorgensen (groin), Jamie Gittens (thigh), and Estevao Willian (thigh) remain sidelined for the hosts, along with Mykhaylo Mudryk, who is currently facing a four-year doping suspension.

Meanwhile, the already-strapped Nottingham Forest received another setback on Thursday when Ola Aina left the field with a limp during the second half, though Pereira remains hopeful for a quick recovery.

The visiting manager was less optimistic regarding Dan Ndoye (unspecified), Ibrahim Sangare (unspecified), Jair Cunha (shoulder), and Murillo (thigh), while Nicolo Savona (knee), Callum Hudson-Odoi (thigh), John Victor (knee), and Willy Boly (knee) are all confirmed as out.

Nineteen-year-old Zach Abbott may step in for Aina in defense if necessary, with Ryan Yates and James McAtee also on the radar if Pereira considers rotations ahead of the second leg against Villa.

Chelsea probable starting XI

Sanchez; Gusto, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Pedro

Nottingham Forest probable starting XI

Sels; Abbott, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; McAtee, Anderson, Dominguez, Gibbs-White; Jesus, Lucca

Having depleted numbers and energy, Nottingham Forest’s remarkable scoring streak and unbeaten run could face a challenge at the venue of a rejuvenated Chelsea side.

The Tricky Trees must remain vigilant in the Premier League, but Chelsea sports one of the highest Expected Goals totals (29.4) within the competition in 2026 and will be eager to capitalize on any openings against their weary rivals.