Europa League: Dyche eyes Forest 'history' as Gibbs-White is ruled out of Malmo tie
Nottingham Forest forward Callum Hudson-Odoi on the atmosphere the fans can produce on Thursday: "I hope it will be lively tomorrow and when the fans are lively, we are. It lifts us and gives us that extra 10 per cent of energy, so hopefully everyone will be buzzing. We were a bit scratched a while ago and you can now tell the bond is there and the group has connected well and hopefully will work hard to keep getting results."
Gibbs-White to miss game against Malmo. Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche gave a team news update: "Just settling an issue with him [Morgan Gibbs-White], he’s going to miss this one. Hopefully it’ll settle down quickly but we’re waiting for news. [Ola] Aina isn’t back on the grass and [Dilane] Bakwa is still out."
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche on his connection with the fans: "There was already a real connection there and when I started, I said that connection has just been stretched. I like to have that light-heartedness on the pitch and when the whistle blows we are ready for the players and us as coaching staff."
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche on the turnaround in form: "The players have accepted the work we are doing and accepted the practical play. They have put in the practice and believed that we can win. We can only guide them in the right direction, and I trust them to deliver which they have been doing."
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche on managing the team in Europe: "For the Forest fans that have been backing this club for many years, it’s a remarkable moment. I have been very fortunate to know the fans and I have touched the history of the club and I am now making my own piece of it being the manager."
See AlsoIsaac Price: Freedom to Attack - Northern Ireland's Rising StarJannik Sinner Secures Semifinal Spot at ATP Finals: Dominant Win Over ZverevBritish Basketball Federation Liquidation: What's Next for UK Basketball? | Crisis ExplainedGeorge Ford's Mentality: How England Can Conquer the All Blacks in 2025 | Rugby AnalysisSean Dyche has beaten Unai Emery to the punch! He's up first in his news conference alongside winger Callum Hudson-Odoi. We'll bring you full updates from both as we have them.
Gary, Nottingham: Sean Dyche has brought the Nottingham Forest back from last season's standards so the only way is up.
Thumb poll on whether Ben Chilwell should make Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad?
Ben Chilwell eyes World Cup. After a difficult end to his time at Chelsea, Ben Chilwell is relaunching his career at French club Strasbourg - and eyeing an England recall to prove his doubters wrong. The 28-year-old defender admits he has plenty of work to do if he is to make the plane for the 2026 World Cup. But he says England boss Thomas Tuchel, who Chilwell won the Champions League with at Chelsea in 2021, has told him that his international hopes are not necessarily over.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is due in front of the media any moment now to preview his side's Europa League match against Young Boys tomorrow evening. We're also due to hear from Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche in the next 30 mins. We'll bring you full updates from both news conferences as soon as we get them.
Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott can be forgiven for wondering if they made the right decision to join Aston Villa. Sancho's contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season, signaling he has likely played his last game for United, but his time at Villa has so far failed to fire. He has just 168 Premier League minutes this season, following his 22-minute cameo in the 2-1 win at Leeds on Sunday, having started two Europa League games and once in the Carabao Cup.
The Reds' current absentees include striker Chris Wood, winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, right-back Ola Aina and midfielder Douglas Luiz. But there is a belief that things are looking up under Dyche and there is also hope the international break will have helped some of those injured players recover.
Nottingham Forest defender Murillo says a 'winning spirit' is returning for the Reds. Speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham after Saturday's 3-0 win at Liverpool, the Brazilian centre-back said: 'The winning spirit we had last season is coming back. I am so happy, feeling very good and it's not just me, I think it is everyone. Because of the work we have done in the week, maybe it has changed our minds and it has given us confidence to play well, given confidence to the fans and staff and everyone. When we scored the goal, we feel more confident, but sometimes we lose our minds. So we talked with each other to stay calm, keep going, and that's what we did. The second half was the most important part of the game. When we played well in the second half, everything went well.'
Some potential big news coming out of the Nottingham Forest camp before Thursday evening... Midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White was not involved in the open section of training this morning casting a doubt over his availability for tomorrow's fixture. Gibbs-White played the full 90 minutes and scored Forest's third goal in Saturday's 3-0 victory against Liverpool at Anfield. Manager Sean Dyche will be speaking in the next hour and will no doubt be asked for an update on his star man.
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest fans - how are you feeling about your chances in the Europa League on Thursday evening? Do you sense a couple of comfortable wins on the horizon? Or maybe you think a couple of banana skin fixtures await? Maybe more importantly - where are you ranking the Europa League in your list of priorities this season? Should the majority of your focus be set on success in Europe? Or does it remain an afterthought to the Premier League. For that and anything else you want to have your say on, click the 'Get Involved' button just below those summary points.
It has been a mixed bag for Nottingham Forest so far in their return to European football. One win, two draws and one defeat has left them sitting comfortably in mid-table though they will fancy their chances to rise up the ranks when they take on a Malmo side with just one point to their name on Thursday.
One crucial thing that Unai Emery has managed to implement at Villa is the ability to win games even when performances have been suboptimal. The start of the season may have been disappointing, but the league position now reflects a resilience in the Villa camp.
During the early weeks of the campaign, the results maybe lagged a little behind some of the performances. Now it is the other way round - a positive sign. While winning, Aston Villa collectively seem to be working towards something this season rather than already being at their full potential. The thrashing of Bournemouth excepted, it still feels like there is more to add. Like Rogers, imagine how good they will all be when they really get the hang of it.
Unai Emery seldom talks of his team reaching a standard, but rather as if they are on some eternal journey of progression. Onwards, to two fixtures which on all known evidence appear among the least taxing of the season. Villa played the Swiss side Young Boys last year in the Champions League and, after adjusting to the artificial pitch in Bern, won comfortably. Sunday against Wolves may be a derby, but one against opponents at their lowest ebb in years.
Both matches look straightforward, but so did the Go Ahead Eagles game, one of Villa's few recent mishaps. The memory of Emery's face at the end of that match ought to be motivation enough for the players to avoid tripping up again.
