Brighton & Hove Albion will aim to bounce back to winning ways in the Premier League on Tuesday evening when they welcome Nottingham Forest to the Amex Stadium.
New Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi is winless in three games, picking up just one point from nine on offer since replacing Graham Potter. The Seagulls endured a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford in west London, with Ivan Toney scoring a brace for the hosts.
This has resulted in the Sussex-based side slipping to seventh in the table, and De Zerbi will be desperate to get his first win in midweek.
Brighton Team News
De Zerbi has been handed a fresh injury concern with Kaoru Mitoma taking a knock on his ankle after coming on as a substitute in Brighton’s 2-0 defeat to Brentford last week.
The Japanese winger, as a result, remains a big doubt for the upcoming fixture against Nottingham Forest. Jakub Moder, meanwhile, is not expected to return until late February due to a serious knee injury.
Predicted Brighton Lineup vs Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
Robert Sanchez has proven to be a reliable pair of hands for Brighton in the last 18-21 months and deserves to keep his place in goal.
Defence
De Zerbi could revert to a back three formation on Tuesday after using a 4-4-2 against Brentford. A quick turnaround means he could shuffle his pack when Nottingham Forest visit the Amex Stadium.
Ahead of Sanchez, Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster are expected to form the back three in the Brighton lineup. They must stay focused for the entire 90 minutes to keep the Forest attack quiet in midweek.
Midfield
There could be changes in midfield as De Zerbi looks to keep his squad fresh during the busy schedule. Solly March has played a lot this season and could be rested with Tariq Lamptey taking his place at right wing-back in the Brighton lineup.
Pervis Estupinan could also make way as part of the rotation with the versatile Leandro Trossard possibly taking his place.
The two wing-backs in Lamptey and Trossard will be expected to stretch the Forest backline with their speed and movement from wide areas. Moises Caicedo has cemented his place in the side with a series of impressive displays and he is expected to start alongside Alexis Mac Allister in the middle of the park in the Brighton lineup.
Attack
Leandro Trossard, Brighton’s standout player so far this term, wasn’t at his usual best against Brentford. With the manager backing Adam Lallana for a start, we could see him being stationed in the attacking trio with Trossard shifting to a slightly deeper role in a tactical shift.
Despite having yet to open his account this season, Danny Welbeck is expected to lead the Brighton lineup again. Against a shaky Forest defence, Welbeck will fancy his chances and aim to break his duck.
Denis Undav could get involved in the second half to give the Seagulls more firepower up front.