Nottingham Forest and Leeds United meet for the second time in four days on Tuesday, with the Carabao Cup second round bringing them back to the City Ground so soon after Leeds won their Premier League curtain-raiser there 1-0.
Anton Stach’s stoppage-time free-kick separated the sides on Saturday in what was Oliver Glasner’s first competitive match in charge of Forest, despite his side creating the better chances across the 90 minutes. The rematch gives Glasner an immediate opportunity to put that result right, though he has already signalled there will be changes to his side.
Daniel Farke’s Leeds arrive full of confidence after a strong pre-season and a composed win on the opening weekend, and the Yorkshire club will see this tie as a genuine chance to reach the third round of the Carabao Cup for the first time under their current manager. Both sides are expected to rotate significantly, with several summer signings from each club in line for their first taste of action together.
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United – Match preview and team newsDate: Tuesday, 25 August 2026 Kick-off: 20:00 BST Venue: The City Ground Referee: Andrew Kitchen Last meeting: Leeds United 1-0 Nottingham Forest, Premier League, 22 August 2026
Team newsNottingham ForestRyan Yates and Nicolo Savona remain sidelined through injury, and Morgan Gibbs-White will also miss out after picking up a knock in Saturday’s defeat. Glasner confirmed there is no structural damage to Gibbs-White’s knee but said “it doesn’t make sense to play him” given the pain involved. The head coach has been open about wanting “fresh legs” for this tie, confirming “there will be moderate rotation” from the side beaten by Leeds.
Leeds UnitedWilly Gnonto and Gabriel Gudmundsson are both out with muscle injuries, Gnonto having picked his up in a pre-season friendly against Manchester United in Dublin. Ilia Gruev remains a long-term absentee with a knee issue, though he has partially reintegrated into training. New signing Nico Elvedi, cleared to play before the weekend but left out of the matchday XI, is expected to be given his first involvement in this tie.
FormNottingham ForestGlasner’s first competitive match in charge ended in defeat, but the performance offered encouragement, with Nikola Milenkovic and Igor Jesus both missing good first-half chances before Stach’s late intervention settled it. The Austrian arrives with a strong pedigree in cup competitions, having won the Conference League, FA Cup and Community Shield during his time at Crystal Palace. Forest have also lost a key player this summer, with Elliot Anderson departing for Manchester City in a £116 million deal.
Leeds UnitedFarke’s side head into the tie in good spirits, having beaten Forest through Stach’s stunning late strike and enjoyed a productive pre-season that included wins over Sunderland, Liverpool and RB Leipzig. Leeds have become notably difficult to break down since switching to a back three under Farke in December, a shape they carried into the weekend’s win. The manager will use Tuesday’s tie to build depth and match fitness among several squad players.
Predicted lineupsNottingham Forest predicted XI (3-4-2-1): John Victor; Diomande, Abbott, Murillo; Aina, Schlager, Dominguez, Netz; Kalimuendo, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Leeds United predicted XI (3-4-3): Perri; Elvedi, Rodon, Muharemovic; Bogle, Tanaka, Longstaff, Justin; James, Nmecha, Okafor
How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United?The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on ITV1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
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