Nottingham Forest vs Leeds – News and Probable Lineups

Oliver Glasner’s tenure as head coach of Nottingham Forest kicks off this Saturday as his side hosts Leeds United at the City Ground for the first match of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

Last season, the Tricky Trees achieved a 3-1 triumph over the Whites in the same fixture, only to fall to a similar scoreline at Elland Road in February.

Match overview

As they adapt to a fifth manager in less than a year, Nottingham Forest starts the new season with Glasner, formerly of Crystal Palace, following Vitor Pereira’s exit in July after a brief tenure of just 137 days.

Pereira successfully guided the Tricky Trees away from relegation, finishing 16th in the Premier League last term, but Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is now enthusiastic about a new chapter under Glasner, who brought home the Conference League, FA Cup, and Community Shield with Palace.

This summer, Forest has made just two notable signings (centre-back Ousmane Diomande and versatile midfielder Xaver Schlager), but Glasner anticipates “one or two” additional arrivals before the September 1 transfer deadline as he aims to assemble a squad capable of securing at least a top-half finish this season.

Across nine pre-season friendly matches, Forest recorded five victories, one draw, and three losses, and they enter Saturday’s Premier League opener having won their last four home league encounters against Leeds, maintaining a 14-match unbeaten streak in top-flight games against the Whites at the City Ground (W7 D7).

Glasner has also prevailed in his first league match at four of his five previous clubs (L1), though the last six permanent managers of Forest have lost their opening Premier League game since Dave Bassett led the Tricky Trees to a 1-0 away victory at Tottenham back in March 1997.

Leeds finished the previous season strongly under head coach Daniel Farke, guiding the club to the FA Cup semi-finals and achieving eight wins, 12 draws, and only five losses across 25 Premier League matches after shifting to a back three/five formation in December.

This summer, the Whites have enjoyed an impressive pre-season, defeating Sunderland (1-0), Liverpool (4-2), and RB Leipzig (2-0), as well as managing a 1-1 draw against Manchester United, before overpowering Augsburg 4-0 in their latest friendly encounter last weekend.

With the aim of securing a top-half finish in the Premier League for the first time since the 2020-21 season, Leeds have spent over £80m to enhance their squad with four new signings this summer, and Farke is eager to “add a bit more quality in different areas” before the transfer window closes.

A strong start to the new Premier League season is desired by a Leeds team that has lost its opening fixture in only two of their last 18 top-flight seasons (W9 D7), facing defeats to Liverpool in 2020-21 and Manchester United in 2021-22.

Leeds heads to the City Ground this weekend having lost only two of their last 12 Premier League away matches (though they have won just once and drawn the remainder), however, only relegated teams Wolves (six) and Burnley (nine) managed to accrue fewer points on the road last season than the Whites (15).

Team News

Nottingham Forest will be missing captain Ryan Yates (unspecified) and defender Nicolo Savona (knee) as they continue their recovery from injury; Savona has encountered a minor setback during his rehabilitation.

The back-three system employed by Glasner is set to be utilized, with £34m signing Diomande expected to make his debut at centre-back alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo, while Ola Aina and Neco Williams will function as wing-backs.

Schlager will be pushing for a starting spot in midfield alongside Ibrahim Sangare, while key player Morgan Gibbs-White is likely to partner with Igor Jesus just behind former Leeds striker Chris Wood.

On the other hand, for the Whites, left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson, forward Willy Gnonto, and goalkeeper Lucas Perri have all been ruled out due to thigh injuries, while Ilia Gruev (knee) remains doubtful.

New summer signing Tarik Muharemovic has impressed throughout the pre-season and is anticipated to make his full debut at centre-back alongside Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon, with club-record signing James Trafford expected to take the goalkeeping position.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who scored a team-high 15 goals for Leeds last term, is set to lead the attack, with new recruit Harry Wilson and Brendan Aaronson hoping to be selected to start in advanced roles ahead of Noah Okafor and Lukas Nmecha.

Nottingham Forest probable starting XI:

Sels; Diomande, Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, Schlager, Sangare, Williams; Gibbs-White, Jesus; Wood

Leeds United probable starting XI:

Trafford; Rodon, Bijol, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Stach, Justin; Wilson, Aaronson; Calvert-Lewin

Having showcased impressive performances throughout pre-season, Leeds might present a significant challenge for a Nottingham Forest team that is still adjusting to Glasner’s tactical approach during the opening weekend.

The disciplined visitors are well-prepared to curb the hosts’ attacking threat, and they may just have what it takes to secure a narrow surprise victory on away soil.