Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner has explained his selection decision for the Premier League opener against Leeds United. The Austrian tactician opted for an XI made up of players already at the club, factoring in fitness concerns and who had impressed in pre-season. Summer signings Ousmane Diomande and Xaver Schlager had to be content with places on the bench for Saturday's match.
Glasner plumped for an XI made up of players already at the club as he factored in fitness concerns and who had impressed in pre-season. Midfielder Schlager was brought on for the final 15 minutes but it remained a watching brief for defender Diomande. It wasn't the start the newcomers or Glasner had hoped for in the Austrian's first competitive match at the helm, with the hosts toppled 1-0 courtesy of Anton Stach's last-minute free-kick.
What happened?
Glasner explained his decision to name the new additions as substitutes, stating that he took a number of factors into account when picking his team. He said: 'For me, it's what I learnt (about) the players during two, three or up to six weeks of pre-season. And then I also got much, much information in the training sessions and in the games.'
Why it matters for Nottingham Forest
Glasner's decision to start with an XI made up of players already at the club has raised questions about the club's transfer strategy. The Austrian tactician has suggested that the solution for filling the void left by Elliot Anderson could now come from in-house. Against Leeds, McAtee was partnered with Ibrahim Sangare from the start. The duo found it difficult to exert control early on but grew into the game as time passed.
What comes next?
Having seemingly dismissed the idea of further strengthening in the centre of the pitch, a striker and a right-back are on Forest's transfer shopping list for the final week or so of the window. Reinforcements are not expected before Tuesday's rematch with Leeds at the City Ground, this time in the Carabao Cup.
Nottingham Forest are currently 16th in the Premier League, with 44 points from 38 games. They are 41 points behind leaders Arsenal and have scored 48 goals this season, conceding 51. Their recent form has been DLDWW, with their last result being a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on 2026-05-24. Their next fixture is against Coventry at home on 2026-09-19.
