Nottingham Forest — Chelsea : Match Preview and Prediction for October 18,2025

Nottingham Forest’s Current Form

Nottingham Forest finds itself in a precarious position in the , making the recent international break a timely respite for the struggling side. Following Nuno’s departure, Forest is still desperately searching for their inaugural victory of the season, a challenge compounded by ongoing difficulties under manager Ange Postecoglou. Their pre-break fixtures saw them fall to a 2-3 home defeat against Midtjylland in the Europa League, swiftly followed by a 0-2 loss to Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

Speculation and Player Absences for Forest

The precarious situation has fueled intense speculation during the international break, with whispers suggesting Ange Postecoglou could be replaced by Rafa Benitez. While these remain mere rumors, a few more unfavorable outcomes, which seem highly plausible, could quickly turn them into concrete developments. For their upcoming clash against Chelsea, Nottingham Forest will be without Oleksandr Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz, and Ola Aina. Additionally, Chris Wood’s participation is doubtful following a minor injury sustained while on international duty in Oslo. These absent players are all integral to Nottingham’s squad rotation.

Chelsea’s Recent Performance

In stark contrast to Forest’s recent struggles, Chelsea headed into the international break with a surge of positive momentum. Enzo Maresca’s side first demonstrated their resilience by securing a tight 1-0 victory against José Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League. This was followed by an impressive 2-1 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, sealed dramatically by an Estevão goal in the 95th minute.

Chelsea’s Squad Strength and Absences

The Brazilian talent is steadily embedding himself within the London club, replicating his influential role for Ancelotti’s national team where he recently decimated South Korea with a goal-scoring masterclass (5-0) during the international fixtures. Broadly speaking, ‘the Blues’ present a far more consistent unit, well-positioned to exploit their opponent’s current difficulties. Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Mykhailo Mudryk, and critically, Cole Palmer for this match. Furthermore, Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernández, Reece James, and Andrey Santos are listed as doubtful. However, Maresca boasts a deep roster, suggesting the team may absorb these absences without significant disruption.