Nottingham Forest vs Brest – News and Probable Lineups

Nottingham Forest will aim to conclude their pre-season preparations positively when they host Brest at the City Ground for their last friendly fixture on Sunday.

After facing three consecutive losses, Forest managed to secure a win against Bayer Leverkusen, while Brest travels to England having remained undefeated in their last three encounters.

Match overview

Under the guidance of Oliver Glasner, Forest has embarked on a new path, with the significant topic of discussion being the transfer of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116m.

To reshape their squad, the club has quickly signed Xaver Schlager on a free transfer from RB Leipzig, meanwhile Gustavo Sa and Ousmane Diomande have joined from Famalicao and Sporting respectively.

Forest started their pre-season with three victories and one draw in their first four games, but then faced three away defeats against Sporting, Udinese, and Barcelona.

Yet, a last-minute goal from Arnaud Kalimuendo secured a 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in their previous match, and Glasner will be keen to take that momentum into the opening match of the 2026-27 Premier League season against Leeds United.

Brest faced a frustrating 2025-26 Ligue 1 season, finishing in 12th position with 39 points accumulated over 34 matches.

Last season, the Pirates managed to score 43 goals while conceding 55, and they have sought to enhance their squad by signing centre-back Gautier Lloris, defensive midfielder Mamady Diambou, and Joseph Nonge.

Julien Lachuer’s team has yet to achieve a win in their initial three pre-season matches, conceding seven goals during that stretch, but they did manage to secure a 2-1 victory over Stade Briochin.

Heading into Sunday’s matchup, they will look to build on an encouraging 2-2 draw with Venezia, where Ludovic Ajorque scored an equalizer in the 88th minute, marking their unbeaten run to three matches.

Team News

Glasner is anticipated to rotate his squad significantly, giving players a chance to showcase their skills while enhancing their fitness in preparation for the upcoming season.

Chris Wood is a doubt for the Sunday match, but otherwise, Glasner feels confident with his squad’s fitness, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he opts for numerous changes during the game.

Lachuer has adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ajorque, who netted eight goals last season, expected to play a pivotal role in Brest’s offensive lineup this year.

Kamory Doumbia, Mama Balde, and Romain Del Castillo have all managed to score in Brest’s last two fixtures, providing hope that their attacking unit is beginning to gel ahead of the new season.

Nottingham Forest probable starting XI:

Sales; Diomande, Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, Schlager, Gibbs-White, Sangare, Williams; Ndoye, Jesus

Brest probable starting XI:

Coudert; Lala, Chardonnet, Le Guen, Locko; Chotard, Tousart; Del Castillo, Doumbia, Balde; Ajourque

As both teams approach their final pre-season match, Nottingham Forest and Brest are eager to conclude on a high note.

Forest has not lost a home match, whereas Brest boasts an unbeaten streak of three games, and with both sides likely to take an attacking stance, an exciting contest that ends in a stalemate could occur.