Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo is keen that his side’s excellent form does not get thrown off by the transfer window.
Forest have won five consecutive Premier League matches and sit third in the table ahead of Monday’s trip to Wolves, with European qualification now a huge possibility.
Nuno did not rule out transfer activity taking place this month but is more concerned about keeping his current players concentrated on the task in hand.
He said: “That’s the most important and the only thing that is really basic for us, that we don’t get distracted by the transfer window.
“Players that are here stay focused, commit themselves and work hard and let things happen naturally. People that have to deal with that will deal with the work.
“But in terms of the group and work ethic, it has to stay the same.”
Nuno revealed that Murillo should be fit to play at Molineux after pulling out during the warm-up ahead of Sunday’s win at Everton, while Callum Hudson-Odoi should also be fit.
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, meanwhile, knows his side have to be ready to perform even without key man Matheus Cunha.
The Brazilian is suspended after an altercation with a member of Ipswich Town’s staff last month but Pereira insists the team will be prepared.
He said: “We need to be ready to play with or without Cunha. We have players with different skills and qualities, we will be ready.
“He knows that it was not a good reaction but I look for a player not only as a player, as a human being. He knows that he made a mistake. Now it is important to not do it again.”
Nottingham Forest have exceeded pre-season expectations more than any club. No surprises which club have underperformed the most… pic.twitter.com/DwaOL8Acku
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) January 2, 2025
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Wolves – Jorgen Strand Larsen
Larsen has scored seven Premier League goals this season, second only to Cunha for Wolves.
With the Brazilian unavailable, the burden is left on his team-mate’s shoulders.
Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood
Wood’s remarkable campaign shows no signs of abating after he scored the opener in the 2-0 win at Everton.
The Kiwi has scored 22 goals in 35 matches under Nuno and one more would see him become the top-scoring Forest player under one Premier League manager, overtaking Stan Collymore’s haul of 22 under Frank Clark in 1994-95.
MATCH PREDICTION: NOTTINGHAM FOREST WIN
Forest are on a stunning run of five consecutive wins, including victories over Manchester United, Aston Villa and Tottenham.
Nuno’s side sit third in the Premier League heading into the weekend and have produced an improvement of 20 points from their total at this stage last season, 37 compared to 17.
They also benefit from playing a Wolves side without their talisman Cunha, who has scored 10 and assisted four of the hosts’ 31 league goals this season.
Indeed, Wolves have not won a top-flight match without him since beating Fulham 2-1 in March last year.
Pereira has overseen an improvement at Molineux, winning two and drawing one of his three games in charge, but Forest have won six of their 10 games on the road and will fancy their chances of adding to that tally.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Wolves – 32.8%
Draw – 25.5%
Nottingham Forest – 41.6%
