MATCH THREAD: " NOTTINGHAM FOREST v CARDIFF C " MATCH THRE

NOTTINGHAM FOREST v CARDIFF CITY
Saturday 9th January 2021, 12pm
FA Cup Third Round
The City Ground 


Match to be played in front of no supporters, for information on how to watch the match on TV or to stream it - see below


Cardiff City's first game of 2021






Cardiff City XI: Phillips; Bacuna, Nelson, Bennett, Bagan; Pack, Vaulks, Ralls; Wilson, Murphy, Glatzel.

Subs: Smithies, Patten, Evans, Ojo, Whyte, Hoilett, Harris.



CARDIFF & FOREST BOTH HAVE INJURIES:


Cardiff City are facing something of an injury crisis, with Sean Morrison, Sol Bamba and Aden Flint all unavailable.

Fillip Benkovic was also recalled by Leicester City this week, meaning that one of Joe Bennett, Greg Cunningham or even Will Vaulks could partner Curtis Nelson up at the heart of the defence.

Right-back Jordan Osei-Tutu is nearing a return from a hamstring issue, but is currently self-isolating under Covid-19 rules.

Meanwhile, Kieffer Moore is set to be assessed towards the end of next week, while long-term absentees Lee Tomlin and Isaac Vassell remain out.



FOREST:
As for the hosts, Forest midfielders Jack Colback (ankle) and Luke Freeman (hernia) remain out, but defender Scott McKenna could make a comeback from an ankle injury

Winger Anthony Knockaert has returned to parent club Fulham.


CARDIFF CITY:



NO NEW INJURIES

Sean Morrison, Sol Bamba and Aden Flint are all out of contention for this weekend

It is understood Sean Morrsion's ankle injury will keep him out of action this weekend and for the following league fixture against Norwich on January 16, with the hope being he can return for QPR later this month on January 20 at best.

Sol Bamba is currently sidelined with a back issue and will also be unavailable for the Forest encounter this Saturday.


The Bluebirds will be without captain Sean Morrison for the trip to Rotherham, with the defender having been taking off in the clash against Wycombe and could be out for up to 6 weeks.

Morrison has to undergo a scan on his ankle ligaments, but has to wait for the swelling to go down before that happens.

It will likely mean another opportunity for Filip Benkovic to impress, having endured a poor debut at Adams Park, or perhaps even an opportunity for Sol Bamba.

Key trio Kieffer Moore (hamstring), Jordi Osei-Tutu (hamstring) and Lee Tomlin (groin) are also missing, while there are a few knocks and niggles from midweek which Harris hopes are not too serious.

Isaac Vassell is the long-term absentee.




How can I watch this match on TV?

This match is live on BT Sport Extra 4.

About Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest Football Club, often referred to as Forest, are a professional football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Founded in 1865 Forest have played home matches at the City Ground since 1898. They currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.

Forest have won one League title, two FA Cups, four League Cups, one FA Charity Shield, two European Cups, and one UEFA Super Cup. The club has competed in the top two tiers of English football since their admission to the Football League, with the exception of five seasons in the third tier. Their most successful period was under the management of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which included back-to-back wins in the European Cup in 1979 and 1980.

In Clough's last decade at the club, Forest won the 1989 and 1990 League Cups and were losing finalists in the 1991 FA Cup Final, before relegation from the Premier League in 1993. Upon an immediate return Forest finished third in the Premier League in 1995, before the club suffered relegation again in 1997 and, after a brief return, once more in 1999. Forest have not been back in the Premier League since.

The club's fiercest rivalry is with Derby County, with whom they contest the East Midlands derby and compete for the Brian Clough Trophy. Forest also contest the Nottingham derby with city rivals Notts County, however, as Forest have predominantly played in higher leagues than their neighbours fixtures between the two clubs have been rare in recent history.

Previous Meeting 

We won 2-0 at Forest in September, with Kieffer Moore getting both goals.

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Christie, Figueiredo, Worrall, Ribeiro, Yates, Sow, Knockaert, Dias, Ameobi, Grabban

Cardiff City: Smithies, Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett, Vaulks, Ralls, Ojo, Wilson, Harris, Glatzel

Form - Last Three Games

Preston North End 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Stoke City 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Birmingham City

Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Cardiff City
Cardiff City 2-3 Brentford
Norwich City 2-0 Cardiff City

Match Odds

Nottingham Forest - 6/4
Cardiff City - 7/4
Draw - 23/10

Predictions

Post your predictions below 

CARDIFF CITY:


The Bluebirds will be without captain Sean Morrison for the trip to Rotherham, with the defender having been taking off in the clash against Wycombe and could be out for up to 6 weeks.

Morrison has to undergo a scan on his ankle ligaments, but has to wait for the swelling to go down before that happens.

It will likely mean another opportunity for Filip Benkovic to impress, having endured a poor debut at Adams Park, or perhaps even an opportunity for Sol Bamba.

Key trio Kieffer Moore (hamstring), Jordi Osei-Tutu (hamstring) and Lee Tomlin (groin) are also missing, while there are a few knocks and niggles from midweek which Harris hopes are not too serious.

Isaac Vassell is the long-term absentee.

Can't see that being our team, Harris will go the same way as previous managers and put out a mixture of youth and U23 players as we have to "concentrate on the league"

City win...



By 2 clear goals

Let’s put our best team out to try and have a Cup run for a change? It’s very unlikely that we’ll get promotion or relegation this season so let’s get to Wembley!

I would expect the team to look like this

Phillips

Bacuna
Bamba
Benkovic
Bagan

Pack
Zimba
Vaulks

Whyte
Harris
Murphy

I cant see how else he can go realistically given injuries and the need to rest players unless he plays a load of youngsters . If Forest go anywhere near full strength we will lose .

I think to save his job he needs to go full strength

No one has any idea whatsoever what line up may be.

Can't see that being our team, Harris will go the same way as previous managers and put out a mixture of youth and U23 players as we have to "concentrate on the league"

yep...he is fighting for his job and its league position/ results is what will be the deciding factor... its not even like we could get a top 6 club at home and get a bumper crowd this season...

No one has any idea whatsoever what line up may be.

Including Mr N Harris

Let’s put our best team out to try and have a Cup run for a change? It’s very unlikely that we’ll get promotion or relegation this season so let’s get to Wembley!

That's my view too,but I wouldn't mind if he played Benkovic and Bagan as they could both do with a run out. Don't see much point in resting players as we won't have played a game for a fortnight. Might as well forget about the league and concentrate on the cup this season.

Quite

No one has any idea whatsoever what line up may be.

Including Mr N Harris

forest are in a relegation scrap so will field a weakened team for this. A good result and performance could buy Harris some time whilst another bad result/performance could push him out the door, so I'm hoping he fields a pretty strong team.

Friday 8 January 2021

Aston Villa v Liverpool (7.45pm) – BT Sport 1

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace (7.45pm) – BT Sport Extra 2








Saturday 9 January 2021

Boreham Wood v Millwall (12pm) – BT Sport Extra 3

Everton v Rotherham United (12pm) – BT Sport Extra 2

Norwich City v Coventry City (12pm) – BT Sport Extra 5

Nottingham Forest v Cardiff City (12pm) – BT Sport Extra 4

Luton Town v Reading (12pm) – BT Sport Extra 6

Chorley v Derby County (12.15pm) – BT Sport 1

Blackburn Rovers v Doncaster Rovers (3pm) – FA Player

Burnley v Milton Keynes Dons (3pm) – FA Player

Wycombe Wanderers v Preston North End (3pm) – FA Player

Stevenage v Swansea City (3pm) – BBC digital platforms

Queens Park Rangers v Fulham (3pm) – BBC digital platforms

Stoke City v Leicester City (3pm) – BBC digital platforms

Blackpool v West Bromwich Albion (3pm) – BT Sport Extra 3

Bristol Rovers v Sheffield United (3pm) – BT Sport Extra 4

Exeter City v Sheffield Wednesday (3pm) – BT Sport Extra 5

Oldham Athletic v AFC Bournemouth (3pm) – BT Sport Extra 6

Arsenal v Newcastle United (5.30pm) – BBC One

Huddersfield Town v Plymouth Argyle (6pm) – FA Player

Brentford v Middlesbrough (6pm) – FA Player

Manchester United v Watford (8pm) – BT Sport 1

Southampton v Shrewsbury Town (8pm) – BT Sport Extra 2





Sunday 10 January 2021

Chelsea v Morecambe (1.30pm) – BBC digital platforms

Manchester City v Birmingham City (1.30pm) – BBC digital platforms

Bristol City v Portsmouth (1.30pm) – FA Player

Cheltenham Town v Mansfield Town (1.30pm) – FA Player

Barnsley v Tranmere Rovers (1.30pm) – FA Player

Crawley Town v Leeds United (1.30pm) – BBC One

Marine v Tottenham Hotspur (5pm) – BBC One

Newport County v Brighton & Hove Albion (7.45pm) – BT Sport 1






Monday 11 January 2021

Stockport County v West Ham United (8pm) – BT Sport 1

New FA Cup rules explained ahead of Nottingham Forest v Cardiff City, Stevenage v Swansea City and Newport v Brighton

The FA Cup third round kicks off this weekend and there have been a few changes to the format and rules this season





BBC Sport

The FA Cup resumes this week as Premier League and Championship teams enter the competition at the third round proper stage.

There are 64 sides remaining in the draw, with 32 ties to be played between Friday (January 8) and Monday (January 11).

Cardiff City head to Nottingham Forest, Swansea City travel to Stevenage while Newport County host top-flight side Brighton at Rodney Parade.

Neil Harris and Steve Cooper are likely to ring the changes amid gruelling Championship fuxtures, while Exiles boss Michael Flynn will see this as another opportunity to record a big scalp in the world's oldest football competition.

The third round gets under way with two all-Premier League clashes - Aston Villa v Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace - and will be concluded with Stockport County taking on West Ham United.

There have been a few changes to the format and rules of the FA Cup this season, partly due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Here's all you need to know...




Covid-19

With a new national lockdown announced in England amid a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, football clubs are not immune and some ties could be at risk of postponement.

Derby County's trip to non-League Chorley is in doubt after the Rams confirmed on Monday night that several first-team players and staff had tested positive for the virus, forcing them to close their training ground.

If clubs do not have enough players available to fulfil a fixture, it will have to be called off.

Some reports suggest that if postponed matches cannot be rearranged before the fourth round, the affected team will have to forfeit, giving their opponent a bye.

Sky Sports reported on Tuesday that no club will automatically have to forfeit a game if they are hit by coronavirus, with each case to be assessed by the FA on its individual circumstances.




Substitutions

Clubs can name a maximum of nine substitutes for their ties, with teams permitted a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the match.

However, if a player suffers a concussion (or potential concussion), clubs shall be permitted to use an additional two substitutions.




Replays

There will be NO replays in this season's competition.

The FA introduced the measure "to assist in easing pressure on the football schedule and to ensure that domestic competitions can still be delivered".

That means if the scores are level after 90 minutes, a period of 30 minutes extra time will be played.

If the sides still cannot be separated, the outcome will be determined by a penalty shoot-out.





VAR

Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will only be used in nine of the 32 third round ties.

They are the ones taking place at Premier League stadiums.






TV and live streaming

Fans in the UK will be able to watch all 32 ties, either on BBC and BT Sport and their digital channels or through The FA Player.

Eight fixtures will be live across the BBC's platforms, 16 across BT Sport's digital channels and the remaining eight fixtures broadcast free to supporters on the FA Player.

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Get a cup run going Mr Harris. Show some cohones.

Pretend you ain't a risk averse wimp and slam attack minded players in REGARDLESS of what the team tell you.

Yes let's put together a strong team and we can all go to an empty Wembley come May and celebrate our cup win in Covent Garden in a shut pub.

Yes let's put together a strong team and we can all go to an empty Wembley come May and celebrate our cup win in Covent Garden in a shut pub.

Cheap day out then

Bluebirds win

Phillips
Sang
Bagan
Benkovic
Nelson
Bacuna
Murphy
Vaulks
Ojo
Glatzel
Harris

Interesting to see the team put out -

Sean Morrison, Sol Bamba and Aden Flint are all out of contention for this weekend

It is understood Sean Morrsion's ankle injury will keep him out of action this weekend and for the following league fixture against Norwich on January 16, with the hope being he can return for QPR later this month on January 20 at best.

Sol Bamba is currently sidelined with a back issue and will also be unavailable for the Forest encounter this Saturday.

A crisis?

Probably looking in from the outside. I wouldn’t use those words. It makes you rally and makes you step up. People need to stand up in the dressing room and be counted. What a great opportunity at Forest in the cup. Players should be thriving on that.

Neil Harris

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“CRISIS”

A time when difficult or important decision must be made!

It’s like watching paint dry suppose it don’t help when it’s phone calls or zoom time with the top 3.

Sounds like Bacuna will be RB on Saturday not that it matters as I’ve said numerous times the players don’t play for him and they won’t Saturday.

Starting to think that a decisive loss at home against Norwich will push it to breaking point.

Second string players in the cup?

I think with the game being called off last Saturday, it gave me an opportunity to really think about this game. Having not played that game there’s a bit of freshness in the group. Will I be mixing things up a bit? Quite possibly, but because we’re not playing again until the next Saturday there isn’t quite so much demand on the legs.

Neil Harris

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No one has any idea whatsoever what line up may be.

Not even Harris.

No one has any idea whatsoever what line up may be.

Not even Harris.

FA Cup not the same this season - Harris

Former finalist Neil Harris is a huge fan of the FA Cup, but the Cardiff City boss feels it will not be the same this season because of the absence of fans.

Harris, who played for Millwall in the 2004 final against Manchester United, takes his Bluebirds side to Nottingham Forest in the third round on Saturday.

He will be playing his strongest side.

What are the odds?

Nottingham Forest win: 8/5
Draw: 21/10
Cardiff City: 9/5