The two sides last met in February, with United narrowly beating Forest 1-0 in the FA Cup fifth round, thanks to a late Casemiro header at the City Ground.
United's seven-game unbeaten streak across all competitions came to a halt on Wednesday in a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal. In Ruben Amorim's first loss as manager, United held firm in the first half but were undone by Arsenal's set-piece strength, with second-half goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba.
Currently sitting 11th in the Premier League with five wins, four draws, and five losses, United find themselves seven points adrift of fourth-place rivals Manchester City. However, their recent home form offers hope, with six wins and a draw from their last seven matches at Old Trafford.
In that run, they've netted 20 goals, conceded just six, and kept three clean sheets in their last four home games. Historically, they’ve also been dominant against Forest, winning six of their seven Premier League meetings at Old Trafford and scoring in all 14 league encounters between the sides—a record matched only against Swansea City.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest has been one of the Premier League’s surprise packages this season but has recently hit a rough patch. They’ve lost three of their last four matches, conceding nine goals in the process. After a narrow 1-0 win over Ipswich last weekend, Forest couldn’t maintain their momentum and fell 3-0 to a sharp Manchester City on Wednesday, despite creating several good chances.
Despite the setback, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is optimistic about his team's prospects, with Forest currently seventh in the table. They’ll aim to use the festive period to push closer to the top four. Forest’s away form has been impressive, with 11 points from seven road games—the joint third-best in the league. However, their last two away matches have ended in 3-0 defeats.
After beating United 2-1 at the City Ground last December, Forest is now looking to secure back-to-back league wins against the Red Devils for the first time since April 1992 under the legendary Brian Clough.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Manchester United have been dealt a blow with Luke Shaw suffering a setback in his recovery from a muscle injury, extending his time on the sidelines. Victor Lindelof is also unavailable due to a groin issue, while Jonny Evans, who missed the Arsenal game with a knock, remains out.On the brighter side, Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo are back in contention after serving one-match suspensions in midweek. Leny Yoro could be in line for his first competitive start in defense, while Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford, and Joshua Zirkzee—both of whom scored twice in last weekend's 4-0 win over Everton—will be eager to make the starting XI.
For Nottingham Forest, long-term injuries continue to sideline Danilo (ankle) and Ibrahim Sangare (hamstring), with both aiming for returns in the new year.
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo will decide whether to stick with a four-man defense or revert to a back three with wing-backs, a strategy he used in the second half against Man City.
In midfield, Elliot Anderson is vying for a starting spot, potentially replacing either Ryan Yates or Nicolas Dominguez. Up front, former Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga could join Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, and either Callum Hudson-Odoi or Jota Silva in the attack.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Manchester United possible starting lineup:Onana; Yoro, De Ligt, Martinez; Diallo, Casemiro, Mainoo, Dalot; Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Yates, Anderson; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood
EXPERT PREDICTION
Manchester United 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Both teams will be eager to bounce back after their midweek defeats, with Manchester United especially needing a strong performance at home to avoid slipping further behind in the top-four race.
Nottingham Forest has the firepower to trouble United on the counter, but the Red Devils have been solid at Old Trafford lately. They should have enough to secure a win here, possibly with a clean sheet to boot.
