Nottingham Forest ready to return to action and looking to make an impressive start

So much has happened since the final whistle last blew on a Forest game...

That Friday evening, heads hung low after Matt Smith’s hat-trick had earned Millwall a 3-0 win on Trentside as the Reds extended their poor form to just one win in six.

Even more disappointing was the bad run came on the back of a 2-0 win over Leeds United which had firmly catapulted Forest into the mix for automatic promotion.

The rest of the results that early March weekend left Forest 10 points off second-placed West Brom before a trip to Sheffield Wednesday – themselves reeling from a 5-0 thrashing at Brentford - looking over the shoulders at seventh-spot, rather than up to second.

Nevertheless, Forest fans still snapped up all 4,000-plus tickets for the relatively short trip up the M1 as they looked for a win to put their play-off dream back on track.

Then coronavirus restrictions kicked in and football was postponed ‘until at least April 3 as a result of the spread of coronavirus’- let’s not forget, Forest were at the heart of one of the first football-related Covid-19 stories when owner Evangelos Marinakis tested positive for the disease.

Now, more than 100 days later, with arguments over the disease’s containment still raging, Forest will get back to action with that trip to Hillsborough – albeit under very different circumstances with fans absent as the season is played out ‘behind closed doors’ in front of the TV cameras.

What impact will the loss of home and away fans have on teams – particularly given Forest’s impressive away form? What impact has the enforced break had on players’ form and fitness?

So many questions, many of which we will only begin to have the answer to come 4.45pm on Saturday – although a quick look at German football’s results shows a rise in away wins, suggesting the lack of supporters is affecting home teams.

Fans or not, the extended ‘late-season break’ will definitely have benefited league leaders Leeds and their high-tempo style of play. Marcelo Bielsa sides traditionally run out of steam late on, but the three-month hiatus is more than enough for them to restore their energy levels enough to carry them to promotion.

West Brom, six points ahead of third-placed Fulham, equally should have enough experience in managing pressure to hold off the challenge and secure a Premier League return.

Fulham’s nine-point gap to seventh also looks difficult to overcome, but Brentford and Forest, separated by just goal difference, will be looking nervously over their shoulders.

Bristol City and sixth-placed Preston had been on poorer runs than Forest, but that means nothing after a three-month gap. Millwall, Cardiff and all the way down to Wayne Rooney’s Derby County in 13th will all harbour hopes of a late-season push for the top six.

It’s almost like the beginning of a new season in that hope outweighs expectation and you don’t really know how your team will perform, albeit without the mystery of any new signings.

Forest started the season excellently – outplaying West Brom in a narrow defeat, draws at early pace-setters Leeds and Charlton and a thumping home win over Birmingham.

That, at least, suggests Sabri Lamouchi and his backroom staff can get the team off to a good start.

Most injuries have cleared up, particularly Samba Sow, whose record in a Forest shirt shows how integral he is and indeed even Tendayi Darikwa who has not played this season following a serious knee injury in July is back training with the rest of the first team – although, let’s not forget Darikwa’s loss was Matty Cash’s gain as he made the right-back spot his own and has been one of the stars of the Championship, let alone for Forest.

What does that all mean for the promotion – and relegation run-in? Who knows? Forest are in a strong position, but only time will tell how it will play out.