Pat Riddell
Forest fan writer, The Famous Club

As ever with Nottingham Forest, it is often a case of two steps forward, one step back. Just when there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, something gets in the way.

Losing to Brighton seemed to be one of those days - some games just do not go your way. Losing to Everton was different.

You cannot face a David Moyes team and not be up for the fight. You cannot face Everton and be sloppy in possession, meek in 50-50s and dithering in front of goal.

Which was baffling because Sean Dyche knows exactly what to expect from the Toffees. Of course, we cannot overreact to every defeat - we are on the right trajectory, it is just the journey is not always smooth.

Another night in Europe beckons on Thursday in Utrecht, before Sunday at home to Spurs. Worryingly though, the injuries appear to be mounting.

In Ola Aina, Murillo and Chris Wood, we are already without three mainstays from last season. Add Dilane Bakwa, Douglas Luiz, Taiwo Awoniyi, Oleksandr Zinchenko and now Ryan Yates to that list and the trouble is obvious. Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly are will also likely be off to Afcon with the Ivory Coast in a matter of days.

Form is affecting other players and perhaps the best we can expect is results to be up and down for a few weeks. However, with several of those injured players due back within a few weeks, maybe the immediate future is not so bleak.

The bottom three are still close but with crunch games against teams around us, as well as a few at the top and a rematch against Everton on 30 December, we will know just how many steps we have taken forward by early in the new year.

Until then, lessons will be learnt from Saturday's 3-0 defeat and the light at the end of the tunnel will stay within sight.

Colin Fray
BBC Radio Nottingham

Forest fans in Utrecht were few and far between last night, but as thousands make the journey today - either from the UK or making the short hop from Amsterdam - they'll be buoyed by the strength of the travelling Reds' squad.

Though goalkeeper Matz Sels has been left at home with a tight groin, and Ryan Yates has been added to the injury list with a hamstring problem, Forest's 22 in the Netherlands includes fit-again Murillo, Dilane Bakwa, Douglas Luiz and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Apart from those ineligible for the Europa League, the rest of the senior players are all here, and in contrast to recent previous matches in the competition, the only two inexperienced players here are substitute goalkeepers Keehan Willows and Aaron Bott.

Victory tonight would keep alive Forest's hopes of finishing in the top eight and so avoiding two play-off matches in their congested fixture calendar.

Looking for their first win in the competition, FC Utrecht are determined to cause a shock and their support will be fervent at the Stadion Galgenwaard - but Forest at least have a stronger looking squad as they themselves search for a first away win of the campaign.

Image source, Getty Images

All five of Nottingham Forest’s Europa League goals under Sean Dyche have come via set-pieces - two penalties, two corners and a throw-in.

That is the most of any side since his first game on 23 October.

They are the only side not to concede a goal in that time.

Nottingham Forest have made nine changes.

Murillo, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Douglas Luiz have returned from injury, while there are starts for John Victor, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Nicolás Domínguez, James McAtee and Zach Abbott.

Nottingham Forest XI: John; Abbott, Morato, Murillo, Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz, Domínguez, McAtee, Ndoye, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo.

Subs: Bott, Willows, Williams, Sangaré, Anderson, Gibbs-White, I. Jesus, Bakwa, Boly, Savona.

Utrecht make three changes for this game.

Mike Eerdhuijzen and Matisse Didden start in the centre of defence while ex-West Ham striker Sebastian Haller leads the attack.

Utrecht XI: Barkas; Horemans, Didden, Eerdhuijzen, El Karouani; Engwanda, Zechiel, De Wit; Miguel Rodríguez, Haller, Cathline.

Subs: Brouwer, Eversen, Van der Hoorn, Finnsson, Bozdoğan, Iqbal, Blake, Viergever, Jonathans, El Arguioui, Van Ommeren

BBC Scotland have a separate live text focusing on...

• Ferencvaros v Rangers (17:45)
• Celtic v Roma (20:00)
• Conference League: Aberdeen v Strasbourg (20:00)

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This live text will focus on the English teams in action...

• Utrecht v Nottingham Forest (17:45)
• Basel v Aston Villa (20:00)
• Conference League: Shelbourne v Crystal Palace (20:00)

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Hello and welcome to live text coverage of another busy night in Europe, with Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace all in action across two different competitions.

Image source, Getty Images