With captain Morgan Gibbs-White cleared to return and former Tractor Boys striker Liam Delap leading the line, the Reds face Gary O'Neil's high-scoring Ipswich Town under mounting pressure at Portman Road.
Nottingham Forest travels to Portman Road on Friday evening facing an urgent need to arrest a three-match Premier League losing streak when Oliver Glasner's side takes on Ipswich Town. The fixture opens Matchweek 8 with kick-off scheduled for 8:00 p.m. local time, matching two clubs operating under sharply contrasting trajectories during the opening two months of the campaign.
Forest enters the contest positioned nineteenth in the table with five points from seven matches, having suffered consecutive league defeats against Coventry City, Crystal Palace and Arsenal. Glasner's squad has struggled to turn opportunities into points, leaving the visitors anxious to pull away from early relegation danger. Ipswich, managed by Gary O'Neil, sits comfortably in mid-table on nine points after pushing Manchester City in a narrow 3-2 loss at Etihad Stadium, a performance that followed a 2-1 home win against Fulham.
Forest's primary struggle this season has centered on converting territorial control into goals. Official Premier League tracking data reveals that Forest accumulated 11.2 expected goals across its first seven matches while scoring only five times. That shortfall of 6.2 goals marks one of the starkest finishing underperformances across the division. Curiously, all five of Forest's league goals have arrived away from the City Ground, including a 2-1 triumph at Aston Villa.
Relief arrived in the form of squad availability news ahead of the trip to Suffolk. Glasner confirmed that team captain Morgan Gibbs-White resumed full training this week and is fit to feature after sitting out the home defeat to Arsenal. The English playmaker provides vital vision and chance creation through the central channels. Central defender Nikola Milenković has also been cleared to start in the backline. However, Forest will remain without forward Igor Jesus and defender Nicolò Savona, who were both ruled out in the club's pre-match medical bulletin.
A prominent narrative surrounding Friday's meeting centers on Liam Delap's return to Suffolk. The 23-year-old striker spearheaded Ipswich's frontline during the 2024/25 campaign, netting 12 Premier League goals for the Tractor Boys before completing his transfer to the East Midlands. Delap has found consistency harder to grasp in Forest colors this autumn, registering a single league goal to date across seven appearances.
Facing his former teammates presents Delap with an immediate opportunity to break his dry spell on a pitch where he enjoyed considerable acclaim. Ipswich supporters understand Delap's aggressive pressing and physical running style intimately, meaning O'Neil's defensive unit must remain disciplined to avoid conceding space behind their back line.
For Ipswich, Friday represents an opportunity to consolidate a positive opening quarter. O'Neil's side has displayed an adventurous attacking identity, scoring 11 league goals across seven outings. Yet that offensive enthusiasm has coincided with significant defensive exposure, as the Tractor Boys have conceded 15 goals.
O'Neil faces selection decisions regarding whether to retain the fluid attacking setup that troubled Manchester City. Winger Omari Hutchinson and left-back Leif Davis have regularly provided width and deliveries into the penalty box. Midfielder Saša Lukić has dealt with fitness concerns throughout the week, leaving his status dependent on official matchday team sheets. If Ipswich maintains composure in defensive transitions, its frontline possesses sufficient firepower to trouble a fragile visiting defense.
Recent history in this fixture tilts heavily toward the visitors. Nottingham Forest has gone unbeaten in its last six competitive matches against Ipswich, collecting five victories and a draw. The most recent clash at Portman Road took place on March 15, 2025, when Forest earned a 4-2 triumph behind two goals from Anthony Elanga alongside strikes from Milenković and Jota Silva. Ipswich replied through Jens Cajuste and George Hirst, but could not overcome a three-goal halftime deficit. Ipswich has not defeated Forest in any senior competition since December 2017.
In the United States, Friday's match will air live on USA Network, with television coverage beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, or 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Cord-cutters can stream the broadcast via Fubo, DirecTV Stream and the NBC Sports platform. With Glasner under pressure and Ipswich eager to climb into the top half, Friday's kickoff at Portman Road promises high competitive stakes for both sides.
Source:
Premier League Matches & Standings 2026/27
Oliver Glasner Pre-Match Press Briefing & Squad Update October 22, 2026
Ipswich Town vs. Nottingham Forest: Premier League preview, news, live stream October 2026