Dyche drops bombshell injury list as Forest left crippled ahead of Liverpool showdown
There was always a feeling that this weekend could stir mixed emotions for both sides — and the latest news from the opposition camp has only intensified that mood ahead of our trip to Nottinghamshire.
According to reports from Liverpoolfc.com, Forest boss Sean Dyche walked into his press conference armed with an actual written list of injured players before confirming just one possible boost for their squad.
Dyche revealed that Callum Hudson-Odoi — last season’s match-winner in this fixture — “has made good progress” and is “definitely being considered for the squad”.
“He’s close,” Dyche added. “At least we can think about bringing him back into the group, and that’s a positive.”
But behind that glimmer of hope lies chaos. Forest are dealing with injuries across the pitch, while we’re wrestling with problems of our own after Arne Slot confirmed that Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz “can’t play” — a situation he called “far from ideal”.
Slot even admitted that “one or two players may have to play out of position”, hinting at more rotation as the festive workload tightens. Both players’ muscle issues come after a demanding month for club and country.
Dyche, meanwhile, confirmed that no other Forest players will return in time.
Chris Wood awaits a re-scan, Douglas Luiz is “a matter of time”, Angus Gunn is still sidelined, and Ola Aina, Dilane Bakwa, Oleksandr Zinchenko and young keeper Aaron Bott are all “making progress but not with us”.
The length of that list is likely to shape Forest’s entire approach — though we’ve had our own twists this week.
The big positive: Slot confirmed that Alisson “trained last week and this week”, raising hopes that our world-class keeper could be ready if he passes the final session. His absence was clearly felt, with just three wins in eight games while he was out.
With both managers juggling selection setbacks, this weekend’s clash may ultimately come down to who adapts best under pressure.