Nottingham Forest's international break plan after City Ground struggles

Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner has outlined his international break plan, with a week off for players before a training camp and friendly ahead of the Crystal Palace fixture.

Nottingham Forest will use the international break to reset after a challenging start to the Premier League season under manager Oliver Glasner. The Reds sit 13th in the table with five points from their opening five matches, having failed to win at the City Ground so far. Their total of 5 points has been built from one win, two draws, and two defeats, with the team scoring 4 goals and conceding 5.

Glasner has confirmed the squad will have the first week of the break off to rest. "We have decided to give the players the first week off," the Austrian head coach said. "It's quite difficult to keep the motivation high when you know there's no competitive game in mid-season." Preparations will then intensify at the Nigel Doughty Academy, with a training week culminating in a friendly match on the Saturday before the league resumes.

Squad availability

A dozen Forest players are away with their national teams during the interval. Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams, Jair Cunha, Ola Aina, Daniel Munoz, Ousmane Diomande, Ibrahim Sangare, Xaver Schlager, Dan Ndoye, and Chris Wood are all on international duty. Their return for the final week of preparations will depend on fitness after their travels.

Injury concerns remain for Nicolò Savona and Nikola Milenković. Savona is dealing with a long-term knee issue but is expected to return to training during or just after the break. Milenković, sidelined with a hamstring problem, is anticipated to be available for selection when Premier League action returns. Their recoveries will be closely monitored by the medical staff.

Focus on Palace

The break precedes a significant away fixture against Crystal Palace on October 11. Forest's latest result was a 1-0 home loss to Coventry City.

Glasner admitted the period will be one of intense reflection for him personally. "Believe me, this is for me the worst situation because I will just be thinking about it," he said. "My family deserves that the husband and the dad comes home for a bit, but I know sometimes they are talking to me and I'm not really listening because my thoughts are somewhere else. It's now a lot of brain work I have to do."

The manager's task is to find a formula to turn around home form and build on the positive result away at Aston Villa earlier this month. With Palace currently 15th, the match at Selhurst Park represents an opportunity for Forest to climb the standings. The aim is to have the full squad, including returning internationals, ready and focused for that challenge. The next fixture is Crystal Palace away on October 11.