Glasner’s Selhurst return with both sides short of a striker
Oliver Glasner returns to Selhurst Park on Sunday, 11 October 2026, this time in the Nottingham Forest dugout. In roughly a year, Glasner won the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the Conference League with Crystal Palace, and Daniel Muñoz, one of his key players, followed him to Forest in the summer. Pierre Sage’s Palace are 15th on four points and have lost both home league games so far. Forest are 13th on five. Kick-off is at 2pm UK time, with Peter Bankes the referee.
„I have big respect for what Oliver did for the club.“ – Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage
Predicted lineups: Palace vs Forest
Palace are missing their main striker. Jean-Philippe Mateta and goalkeeper Dean Henderson are close to a return but are not expected to be ready, Axel Disasi is suspended, and Chadi Riad and Takehiro Tomiyasu are injured. Ismaila Sarr has been passed fit, and Jørgen Strand Larsen is the likely central striker. Forest are without Nikola Milenković, who has bone bruising after a training collision, as well as Igor Jesus (calf) and Nicolò Savona. Neco Williams is a doubt with illness.
Palace Team News & Preview
Sage’s first months in charge have been uneven. Palace lost 4-1 at home to Manchester City and 3-2 at home to Ipswich, won 3-2 at Fulham and drew 0-0 at Leeds in their last game before the break. They have conceded 11 goals in five games, so the defence has been a problem, but the clean sheet at Elland Road was a step forward.
Without Mateta, the attack loses its focal point. Tyrick Mitchell is their top league scorer with two goals, and Daichi Kamada has three assists. Strand Larsen is the likely replacement up front, with Sarr, Eddie Nketiah and Arnaud Kalimuendo as options. Sage expects an emotional afternoon and said the two sides are „close in the table, close in the way of the playing“.
What works for or against Palace
- Palace kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw at Leeds in their last game.
- They have lost both home league games this season.
- Mateta and Henderson are out, and Disasi is suspended.
- Palace have not beaten Forest in 12 Premier League meetings.
Forest Team News & Preview
Forest’s attack has been their weakness under Glasner. They have scored four league goals in five games, have been goalless at half-time in four of them, and lost 1-0 at home to Coventry in their last game. Their best result was a 2-1 win at Aston Villa, with Liam Delap and Igor Jesus scoring, and Jesus is now out with a calf problem.
The defence is in better shape: five goals conceded and draws with Liverpool and Tottenham. Glasner’s back three is built to be hard to break down, and Muñoz returns to Selhurst at wing-back. Morgan Gibbs-White, with two assists, is the main creative outlet behind Delap.
What works for or against Forest
- Forest have conceded only five goals in five league games.
- They have scored four league goals and were goalless at half-time in four of five games.
- Milenković and Igor Jesus are out, and Neco Williams is a doubt.
- Forest are unbeaten in their last 11 meetings with Palace in all competitions.
Palace vs Forest Odds
Match Result
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Both Teams to Score
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C. Palace vs. Nottingham Stats Comparison
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C. Palace vs. Nottingham Form Guide
C. Palace Form, Stats & Data
Palace concede 2.20 goals per game, but their games against the better attacking sides skew that figure, with four conceded against Manchester City. Against Forest’s blunt attack, the defence faces a different test. Their own scoring rate of 1.20 per game is likely to drop without Mateta as the focal point.
Nottingham Form, Stats & Data
Forest’s numbers describe a tight, low-scoring side: 0.80 goals scored and 1.00 conceded per game. Only two of their five league games have produced more than two goals. With Igor Jesus out, the scoring burden falls even more heavily on Delap and Gibbs-White.
Palace vs Forest: Prediction & Betting Tip
The history of this fixture is hard to ignore. Palace have never beaten Forest in 12 Premier League meetings, eight of those games were draws, and the last eight meetings all finished 1-0, 0-0 or 1-1. Forest’s last five visits to Selhurst Park were all drawn. Add Palace’s missing striker, Forest’s goal shortage and Igor Jesus’s injury, and I expect a tight game.
The obvious danger is Palace’s leaky defence. They have conceded 11 goals in five games, and three of their five league games have produced at least three goals. But those goals came mostly against stronger attacks than Forest’s, and both sides have reason to be careful in an emotional game. I am happy to back a low-scoring afternoon.
My selection is Under 2.5 Goals at 1.88 with Winz, with 1-1 as my correct-score call.