The first of seven Premier League matches on Saturday is Nottingham Forest v Chelsea at the City Ground.
Kick-off in the Gameweek 8 curtain-raiser is at 12:30pm BST.
TEAM NEWS
It’s chaos when it comes to the teamsheets, with benchings, surprise starters and no-shows on either side.
Heading into the Gameweek 8 deadline, the big team news question concerned which, if any, of Chelsea’s three injury doubts, namely Pedro Neto, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, would be fit for this match.
One starts, one is a substitute and one misses out – but unfortunately for many Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, the one starting is the lesser-owned Neto.
Caicedo takes his place among the substitutes for the Blues, while there’s no Enzo in the visitors’ squad at all.
All in all, Enzo Maresca has made three changes from Gameweek 7
Benoit Badiashile is out until December with a muscle injury, so he makes way from the side along with Enzo and Caicedo.
In come Andrey Santos, Romeo Lavia and, back from suspension, Trevoh Chalobah.
Tosin Adarabioyo is fit again but has to settle for a place on the bench, alongside the likes of Estevao and £4.3m forward Marc Guiu.
Joao Pedro, rested over the international break, leads the line.
As for Forest, Ange Postecoglou makes five changes from the defeat to Newcastle United.
It’s quite a conservative-looking line-up, with a five-man defence and no wingers.
Chris Wood, who had a knee niggle over the break, drops to the bench this afternoon.
Jair Cunha, Ryan Yates, Dan Ndoye and Nicolo Savona are also moved out of the side.
Murillo, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Douglas Luiz all return after recent injuries, while Ibrahim Sangare gets a recall.
The most surprising starter of the game is Wood’s replacement. It’s not Igor Jesus, nor is it the absent Arnaud Kalimuendo.
Instead, forgotten man Taiwo Awoniyi gets the nod. The striker hasn’t kicked a ball in 2025/26, last featuring in a Premier League matchday squad back in Gameweek 1.
LINE-UPS
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Williams, Douglas Luiz, Sangare, Anderson, Zinchenko, Gibbs-White, Awoniyi.
Subs:Â John, Hudson-Odoi, Wood, Ndoye, DomÃnguez, Igor Jesus, Yates, Jair Cunha, Savona.
Chelsea XI:Â Sanchez, James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella, Gusto, Lavia, Pedro Neto, Andrey Santos, Garnacho, Joao Pedro.
Subs:Â Jorgensen, Tosin, Hato, Caicedo, Gittens, George, Guiu, Estevao, Buonanotte.
