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

Nottingham Forest’s Current Form

Nottingham Forest continues to struggle in the , making the international break a timely respite for ‘the Reds’. Since Nuno’s departure, Nottingham has been desperately searching for their first victory of the season, but success under Postecoglou has been elusive. Before the international fixtures, the hosts suffered a 2-3 home defeat to Midtjylland in the Europa League, followed by a 0-2 loss to Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

Team News and Managerial Speculation for Forest

The current predicament is highly unfavorable, with rumors even circulating during the break that Ange Postecoglou could be replaced by Rafa Benitez. While these remain unconfirmed reports, a couple more unfavorable results, which are certainly plausible, could quickly turn these whispers into reality. For the upcoming match against Chelsea, the hosts will be without Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz, and Ola Aina. Chris Wood is also doubtful after picking up a minor injury in Oslo while on international duty. All these players are key components of Nottingham’s rotation.

Chelsea’s Recent Performance

While Forest enters this fixture on the back of three consecutive defeats, Chelsea, in contrast, headed into the international break in high spirits. Enzo Maresca’s side first secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League, followed by a dramatic 2-1 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the , sealed by Estevao’s goal in the 95th minute.

Chelsea’s Squad Updates and Strengths

The Brazilian talent is gradually integrating into the London squad, and much like with Ancelotti’s national team, he is beginning to play a pivotal role – notably scoring a brace to dismantle South Korea 5-0 during the international break. Overall, ‘the Blues’ appear to be a significantly more stable unit, well-positioned to capitalize on their opponent’s current struggles. Chelsea will be without Colwill, Delap, Essugo, Mudryk, and the crucial Cole Palmer for this match. Fofana, Fernandez, James, and Andre Santos are also doubts, but Maresca boasts a deep squad, suggesting that these absences might not significantly impact their performance.