Ipswich Town v Forest preview: kick-off time, team news and form
Forest head to Suffolk this week for a Premier League clash with major relegation-six-pointer written all over it. The two sides meet at Portman Road on Friday 23rd October, with kick-off at 8pm.
There's plenty at stake. Ipswich sit 10th with nine points from seven games, while Forest are down in 19th place on five points having won just once in the league so far. The Nottingham Post describes it as a "crunch" and "key" clash for Oliver Glasner's side (Nottingham Post) (Nottingham Post) (Nottingham Post) (Nottingham Post) (Nottingham Post) (NottinghamForest.co.uk) (Nottingham Post), and it's easy to see why given where both clubs find themselves in the table.
Form has been patchy on both sides. Ipswich arrive on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City, but their recent run also includes wins over Crystal Palace and Fulham, leaving them with a DWLLW sequence. Forest, meanwhile, go into the game on a three-match losing run following defeat at home to champions Arsenal, with their form reading DLLWD. The Nottingham Post says Glasner will be looking to end that run of three straight losses (Nottingham Post).
Goals have been hard to come by for Forest this season, with nine scored and conceded compared to Ipswich's 11 scored and 15 conceded, so neither defence has had things entirely their own way.
The biggest team news is around Morgan Gibbs-White, who missed Forest's 1-0 loss to Arsenal through a muscular injury but is now in contention again. ESPN reports that Gibbs-White "will be back in contention for Nottingham Forest's game at Ipswich on Friday evening" (ESPN), while Nottingham Forest's own club website confirms he is "FIT TO RETURN AGAINST IPSWICH" (NottinghamForest.co.uk). Sports Mole adds that Forest are "hopeful" the midfielder will recover in time to start (Sports Mole), and that Glasner has given "mixed team news" on his availability (Sports Mole). The Nottingham Post also has the latest injury update on Gibbs-White ahead of the game (Nottingham Post), while Sports Mole note that three Forest players could be set to miss out (Nottingham Post).
There's an added subplot up front too, with the Nottingham Post reporting on striker Liam Delap facing his former club Ipswich this evening (Nottingham Post). For the hosts, Sports Mole suggest Gary O'Neil could name an unchanged side off the back of their 3-2 result, as his side look to build on recent home form at Portman Road (Sports Mole).
Forest will be desperate to arrest their slide down the table, and with Gibbs-White potentially back in contention, there's at least some positive news to lift the travelling supporters before a game that could have a big say in how both clubs' seasons shape up.
Kick-off at Portman Road is 8pm on Friday 23rd October.
Written with the help of AI, using the match facts and the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
