Dyche unveils huge list of Forest casualties before showdown with Liverpool

There was always a feeling that this weekend could deliver mixed emotions for both sides, and the latest word from the opposition camp has only reinforced that ahead of our trip to Nottinghamshire.
According to Liverpoolfc.com, Forest boss Sean Dyche turned up to his press conference with what was described as a literal written list of injured players, before confirming just one possible return for the clash.

The ex-Burnley and Everton manager revealed that Callum Hudson-Odoi — who scored the winner in this fixture last season — “has made good progress” and is “definitely being considered for the squad”.

Dyche continued: “He’s close… at least we can think about him being back in the mix, which is a positive.”

His comments come amid broader uncertainty for Forest, who are nursing injuries across several areas of the team.

Liverpool head to Forest with injury concerns of their own

While Forest’s problems are substantial, we’re facing fresh issues too, after Arne Slot confirmed that both Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz “can’t play” against Forest — a situation he described as “far from ideal”.

Our head coach admitted this could force “one or two players” into unfamiliar roles, hinting at more rotation ahead.

These muscle-related setbacks also tie into the wider fixture congestion, with both players having played heavily for club and country recently.

Forest’s injury list grows as Liverpool aim to rebuild rhythm

Dyche confirmed no other absentees are expected back in time.

Chris Wood is awaiting a re-scan, Douglas Luiz is “a matter of time”, Angus Gunn remains out, and Ola Aina, Dilane Bakwa, Oleksandr Zinchenko and young goalkeeper Aaron Bott are all “progressing but not with the group yet.”
The size of that injury list will undoubtedly influence Forest’s approach, although we have our own developments to consider.

A positive note for us came when Slot confirmed that Alisson “trained last week and this week”, raising hopes that our world-class No.1 could return if he completes the final session without issue.

His comeback would be timely, as we managed only three wins in eight games during his spell on the sidelines.

With both teams juggling selection problems, this weekend’s encounter may ultimately be decided by which manager adapts best to the circumstances.