Nottingham Forest

I know it is being televised but I don't really understand why this game has to be on a Tuesday night - and I don't like it.

The timing might affect Nuno Espirito Santo's team selection before Nottingham Forest go to Fulham on Saturday. It seems unfair they cannot play at the weekend like everyone else, and have a clear week before travelling to Craven Cottage.

It won't stop 'The Wood-Chopper' [Chris Wood] from sending Forest through, but it could mean Nuno makes more changes for this tie. I hope he doesn't, but I think he might - although they should still have too much for Exeter.

This is the first time Exeter have reached the fourth round since 1980-81, and they went on to lose to eventual winners Tottenham in the quarter-finals.

I'd love to see Forest - have I mentioned they were my boyhood team? - repeat that feat and go all the way to the final this season. If they do make it to Wembley, I will definitely be there cheering them on.

Sutton's prediction: 0-3

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Exeter City are winless in four previous meetings with Nottingham Forest (D2 L2) - though this is their first encounter since April 1951, which ended in a 5-0 home defeat.

The draw for the FA Cup fifth round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.

Games will be played over the first weekend of March.

• Aston Villa v Cardiff City

• Crystal Palace/Doncaster v Millwall

• Man Utd v Fulham

• Newcastle v Brighton

• Bournemouth v Wolves

• Man City v Plymouth

• Exeter/Nottingham Forest v Ipswich

See the full draw

Is there something you want to ask about a Premier League club?

Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha is ready to answer your burning questions and give his thoughts on some of the biggest talking points for a special Q&A.

Submit your questions here and come back on Thursday for his answers

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's FA Cup fourth round tie away to League One Exeter City (20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Nuno said "everyone has to be assessed" before he decides who will be in the squad for Tuesday. On Callum Hudson-Odoi he said: "We will have to see, he's coming back."

• The manager said Murillo is "much better" and has "re-joined the group normally."

• On how important the FA Cup is to Forest's season: "It is the priority now. It is the game we have to focus on. The approach is exactly the same. We try to find all the details, we have had a good look at our opponent. It's a reward for the players who are working so hard to have a chance to play."

• On Forest's warm weather training in Dubai: "It was good. The schedule allowed us to have a nice trip. It was important for us to be together. We could work in nice facilities, good training sessions and we had a chance to enjoy ourselves and spend some time together."

• Nuno reflected on "a quiet window for the club", stating: "It's very difficult to operate, we were aware of that. We had a clear intention to retain the key core to our squad, they are all here. We didn't achieve what we want [in terms of incomings] because it's very hard but we keep going."

• On James Ward-Prowse re-joining West Ham: "It was very hard. James was a big help to us. Then there was a time he is not playing. It was not an easy situation. It was the best decision for all the parts."

• He indicated he will rotate his team on Tuesday, stating: "The FA Cup allows these teams from different competitions to have a chance to compete. I'm looking forward in the aspect that I think it is a good moment for us as a squad to take advantage of this game and reward the players who are working so hard and don't have minutes."

• On preparing for the challenge of facing a side lower down the pyramid, Nuno said: "We have to get ready for that [big atmosphere with fans close to the pitch]. In these game it is important to try and to find simplicity and solve the problems in a simple way. Our talent and quality will show I hope."

Follow all of Tuesday's European and domestic news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of Exeter v Nottingham Forest on Tuesday from 20:00 on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

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The fifth-round draw will take place during Monday's episode of The One Show on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Former England winger Theo Walcott, who won the trophy twice while with Arsenal, will conduct the draw at about 19:10 GMT.

There are 16 Premier League teams left in the draw, with Leicester having been beaten by Manchester United on Friday, and Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham exiting in the third round.

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BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray believes Nottingham Forest's quiet end to the winter transfer window - in contrast to those of previous seasons - shows how much progression the club has made in recent months.

On the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast, Fray said: "Deadline day was a lot quieter than the past few have been, which I guess shows where Forest are as a club because they have moved on.

"They're not in a situation where they're desperately needing to add players to stave off the threat of relegation or, in the case of the first season back [in the Premier League], to continue that rebuild.

"They're now in a position where their squad has done very well and they're quite relaxed about whether or not they can bring anyone else in. If they are to bring anybody else in, as Nuno said throughout the month, they have to be to improve Forest and have the character to fit into the dressing room.

"And when Forest have got players who are playing as well as they are at the moment, you're fishing in quite a small pool in terms of the players you can attract - and that pool is a very expensive pool.

"To get a player who was going to improve them and be able to fit in, given how well they're playing this season, was basically going to cost them too much money and put them at risk of PSR issues again."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

On the latest episode of BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up And Show More Football podcast, David Jackson and Colin Fray discuss a far from normal week at the City Ground, with Nottingham Forest's 7-0 thrashing of Brighton followed by a relatively quiet transfer deadline day.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Now that transfers are done and dusted, we know who has what for the final push this season.

I have Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea finishing in the top four, so that leaves two positions in the top six up for grabs.

I am so torn as to who will fill them because Newcastle and Aston Villa are going to face a serious challenge from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.

It would be so nice to see Forest and Bournemouth do it and it would be deserved because they have performed so well this season and have adopted a brilliant style.

Everyone wants to watch teams play out from the back and play 'beautiful football' but really, it is juts about finding a style that suits your players and winning games. That is what I have enjoyed about Forest because they don't mind playing from the back, but they also don't mind being direct.

By playing on the defensive and thriving on counter attacks, they have been an enjoyable watch. But looking at their xG in games, they have to be clinical in order to win games. That is working for them at the moment. Whether that is luck, or something that is being coached on the training pitch and being pulled off in games we don't know. But they will have to keep it up.

I am going to be bold and predict Bournemouth to finish fifth, just slightly above Forest.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Nottingham Forest rejected a deadline day offer from Chelsea for Brazilian defender Murillo, 22. It would have been a club-record sale. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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After Saturday's 7-0 thrashing of Brighton, you could argue Nottingham Forest did not need to strengthen. After all, with midfielders Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare returning to the squad, the Reds are already better off than they were last month.

The three strikers we pursued last summer have all moved on - Omar Marmoush and Santiago Gimenez to Manchester City and AC Milan respectively in this transfer window, and Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace at the start of the season.

And Chris Wood is in the form of his life, with a new contract to boot.

The current ownership - and, indeed, the previous one - often placed quantity over quality, or quality over quantity. But regardless, every transfer window usually yielded arrivals. Not so this time around.

Defender Tyler Bindon arrived from Reading on a three-year deal, and has headed back on loan to the League One club for the rest of the season. James Ward-Prowse, already down the pecking order before the returns of Danilo and Sangare, ended his loan deal early to join new manager Graham Potter back at West Ham United. And the likes of Lewis O'Brien, Emmanuel Dennis and Josh Bowler made temporary moves elsewhere.

With the Reds sitting pretty in third place in the Premier League, ensuring the squad stayed in one piece is perhaps the most important piece of business achieved.

Tying down Murillo to a new, long contract was key to Forest's ambitions, particularly with interest from certain well-funded rivals.

The only real interest shown was in Brentford's Yoane Wissa but with the Bees reluctant to sell, West Ham's reported interest in Taiwo Awoniyi was fruitless.

As it stands, Nuno Espirito Santo's team remains in good shape for the final 14 games of the season.

For once, no new major signings and everyone's happy on Trentside.

Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external

Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel Dennis has joined Blackburn Rovers for the remainder of the season.

The 27-year-old had spells at Istanbul Basaksehir and Watford last season and has not played for Forest since the final game of the 2022-23 campaign.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel Dennis is close to a loan move to Blackburn Rovers.

Rovers have been interested in signing him during this window, but earlier on Monday, there was not a huge amount of confidence that the deal would get done.

However, they have managed to find a breakthrough, with Dennis poised for a move to Ewood Park to help the Championship play-off challengers.

Dennis has not played for Nottingham Forest this term and has spent time on loan at Watford and Turkish side Basaksehir in the past two seasons.

Nottingham Forest have signed defender Tyler Bindon from Reading.

The 20-year-old has signed a deal until the summer of 2028, but he will be loaned back to the League One outfit for the remainder of the season.

Bindon has played 13 times for New Zealand since making his debut for the All Whites in October 2023.

Forest's chief football officer, Ross Wilson said: "We have been impressed during our tracking of Tyler's progress and we are pleased to secure his signature.

"We will be closely following his development as he now returns to Reading for the remainder of this season."

Swansea City have completed the loan signing of midfielder Lewis O'Brien from Nottingham Forest.

The 26-year-old - who made 12 appearances for Los Angeles FC during the latter stages of the 2024 Major League Soccer season - completed his medical with the Championship club on transfer deadline day.

Read more

Follow live transfer updates and see all of Monday's completed deals

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien is closing in on a loan move to Championship side Swansea.

The 26-year-old hasn't played for Forest for two years and spent four months on loan at LA Galaxy until November last year.

He has also had time on loan at Middlesbrough and DC United, and is now expected to complete a move to south Wales later this evening.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nottingham Forest have not considered selling striker Taiwo Awoniyi this month and it is likely to be a quiet deadline day at The City Ground.

One-time Liverpool forward Awoniyi had been linked with a move during the window, with Everton and West Ham reportedly interested.

Awoniyi has scored once in 21 appearances this term and is considered key back-up to Chris Wood - who scored a hat-trick in Saturday's 7-0 thrashing of Brighton to take his season's tally to 17.

Fellow forward Emmanuel Dennis will also stay unless a late move emerges, despite being left out of the 25-man Premier League squad.

Dennis, who joined from Watford for £20m in 2022, has spent time on loan at Turkish side Basaksehir and had a spell back at the Hornets last season.

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest had eyes on Brentford's Yoane Wissa as a potential striking target before the window closed but the trail has gone cold.

It was reported Forest were willing to pay in excess of £20m for the 28-year-old, who has scored 11 Premier League goals this season.

Brentford were not willing sellers and would demand well in excess of that fee to even consider a deal.

Forest had become increasingly pessimistic of any deal being sanctioned, while the Bees are in no mood to sell such a vital component of their attack.

Image source, Getty Images

James Ward-Prowse has returned to West Ham United after the Hammers and Nottingham Forest mutually agreed to end his loan spell at the City Ground.

The midfielder, 30, made 10 appearances for Forest, who thanked Ward-Prowse for his "professionalism and dedication during his time at the club".

West Ham said the return of the former Southampton captain will "add experience, depth and quality to head coach Graham Potter's squad for the second half of the campaign".

Hammers fans - are you happy that Ward-Prowse has returned? Let us know

We asked you what would ensure you are satisfied this deadline day.

Here are some of your comments:

Ryan: There is no minimum requirement. If we have to stick with what we have, then nobody will be too upset. If we can bring in a classy attacking option, then nice. If not, no biggie!

Alun: Keeping our squad together, above all else, is imperative. Adding a striker seems to be the popular choice, but I wouldn't want to lose Taiwo Awoniyi and then fail to bring in an equally if not better player. Chris Wood is playing so well at the moment, but we still need to keep big T, who has had an awfully long time out so keep the faith in him.

Mick: We're short of strikers so another back-up striker for Wood would be ideal. Someone who'll fit in but there is no need to break the bank.

Al: Bring back Dale Taylor from his loan at Wigan. I'm not saying he's going to make a massive difference but we won't know until we try him. It could save us a packet in the process.

Sean: There's not really much that needs changing throughout the team. The dressing room is unified, they're following Nuno's vision and it's going rather well! If we need new players, it's only to cover for what we've already got. So attacking-wise we could go for a striker to cover if Awoniyi moves on, or just as cover to Awoniyi and Wood. As long as the talent we have stays together, that will be a successful window.

Nigel: Back-up for Wood with a view to a more long-term option.