Preview: Chesterfield vs Nottingham Forest - prediction, team news, lineups

Commencing their summer schedule ahead of a European campaign, Nottingham Forest visit Chesterfield at the SMH Group Stadium on Saturday afternoon for a friendly match.

The Spireites are already two matches into their off-season plans, whereas the Tricky Trees are preparing to take to the field for the first time in 2025-26.

Match preview

Following two years of extravagant spending and relegation battles, Nottingham Forest were the surprise package of the 2024-25 Premier League season, challenging for a spot in the Champions League before eventually settling for seventh and Conference League football.

Despite a run of just one win in five matches to finish off the term, the Tricky Trees will look back on the campaign as a massive success, with many journalists and supporters tipping the East Midlands side for a sobering return to the Championship this time last year.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men were excellent on their travels in the Premier League last season, collecting 33 points across 19 top-flight outings, with only league winners Liverpool (38) and second-placed Arsenal (35) earning more points on the road.

With a later start date of competitive action this term compared to Saturday's hosts, Forest are only just commencing their pre-season plans, with matches against the likes of Estoril, Birmingham City and Fiorentina booked in before a top-flight opener with Brentford on August 17.

The Tricky Trees have made a slow start to the summer transfer window, although the arrival of Igor Jesus from Brazilian giants Botafogo represents an eye-catching move, with the 24-year-old a regular goalscorer in South America over the past year.

After six gruelling years outside of the Football League between 2018 and 2024, Chesterfield blitzed the National League during the 2023-24 campaign, finishing an impressive 12 points ahead of the rest to secure the fifth-tier title and a return to League Two.

From very early on last term, it was clear that the Spireites were not just in the fourth tier to make up the numbers, eventually placing seventh after a remarkable six-game unbeaten run at the end of the regular season, securing a spot in the playoffs.

Chesterfield were pitted up against West Midlands outfit Walsall in the semi-finals and suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since early March, with a late consolation strike from Armando Dobra during the second leg doing little to ease the pain for Paul Cook's men.

A major storyline from the 2024-25 season in Derbyshire was the return to the Football League of Northern Ireland hero Will Grigg, who fired in 12 goals across 30 League Two appearances after setting the National League alight the previous year.

Despite the arrival of Premier League opposition onto their territory this weekend, Chesterfield should be quietly confident of picking up a respectable result, especially when considering last campaign's home form, with the Spireites losing just three of their 23 fourth-tier matches at SMH Group Stadium.

Chesterfield friendly form: L W

Team News

Re-signing for Chesterfield on loan following an injury-plagued 2024-25, Fulham youngster Devan Tanton could feature for the hosts this weekend.

Taking advantage of the free agent market, the Spireites have snapped up the services of former Walsall and Birmingham midfielder Ryan Stirk.

Nottingham Forest are on the verge of losing the services of Anthony Elanga, who is close to a £55m switch to Newcastle United.

The departure of the Swedish winger presents an opportunity for other attackers to stake their claim for a starting spot, including Jota Silva.

Despite being linked heavily with a move away this summer, Omar Richards has been spotted in training for the Tricky Trees this week.

Chesterfield possible starting lineup:

Boot; Jessop, Dunkley, McFadzean, Gordon; Stirk, Fleck, Hobson, Elliott, Colclough; Grigg

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:

Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Danilo, Williams; O'Brien, Sangare; Hudson-Odoi, Silva, Gibbs-White; Awoniyi

We say: Chesterfield 0-3 Nottingham Forest

Already two matches into their pre-season, Chesterfield will be hoping to out run their Premier League visitors this weekend.

That being said, the Tricky Trees have top-flight quality all over the pitch and should be comfortable victors at SMH Group Stadium.

Written by
Carter White

Previews by email