NUNO NOT SOLD ON IT
Boss won’t think about star sales
NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO insists it would be “absurd” to think about selling Nottingham Forest’s prized assets while they have a relegation battle to fight.
The Reds have been plunged into the bottom three after being hit with a four-point deduction for breaching Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules.
They now face the prospect of needing to raise funds by the end of June to avoid a further PSR sanction, with Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White – both valued in excess of £50m – two star names expected to attract interest.
But boss Nuno (inset) is adamant his only focus is the Reds’ survival scrap.
He said: “That’s not even an issue for us. The situation we are in, we are not going to start thinking about the transfer of players.
“It’s absurd and a mistake. We don’t think about that at all.”
While Forest have appealed against their deduction, they head into today’s clash against Crystal
Palace one point adrift of safety. And Nuno says his players are determined to take control of the situation by taking care of business on the pitch.
He added: “They were disappointed, but there was an immediately reaction to say, ‘OK, it’s in our hands to change this – let’s forget about everything else and stick together for these seven weeks.’
“I don’t just sense it, I see it, because we work together every day. I see that commitment in every one of them.
“That’s why we are confident we are going to change it.”
Three of Forest’s next four matches – against Palace, Fulham and Wolves – come at the City
Ground. They have the look of season-defining fixtures and Nuno confirmed they have been training at the stadium in preparation.
The Portuguese coach said: “It is good for us to practise where we are going to play.
“It is the ideal scenario for what we are going to find. The only thing missing was the fans.”
Nuno has confirmed Taiwo Awoniyi will be absent this afternoon but fellow striker Chris Wood is set to feature after recovering from injury.
“I don’t know exactly how long he will be out for but I am positive we are going to see him again this season.
“He will definitely miss these two games,” Nuno said of Awoniyi.
“We need Chris to be there and score and play. He’s a huge player for us.
“He’s very important for us, with the absence of Taiwo he’s even more important, the way he links our game.”