Nottingham Forest Excludes Five Summer Signings from Europa League Squad

Nottingham Forest have been forced to leave out several of their summer signings, including record £37.5 million midfielder Omari Hutchinson and loan signing Oleksandr Zinchenko, from their Europa League squad due to UEFA regulations requiring four club-trained players, of which Forest have only one. This restriction limits their squad to 22 players instead of the permitted 25, resulting in omissions also including Angus Gunn, Jair Cunha, Cuiabano, Jota Silva, and Taiwo Awoniyi. Hutchinson has made only two substitute appearances this season, and Zinchenko’s absence is notable given his versatility in defense and midfield where the team is short of cover. Other new signings such as Dan Ndoye, Dilane Bakwa, and Douglas Luiz were included, while young players like Zach Abbott qualify for List B and do not count towards the quota. Forest, who qualified for Europe for the first time in 30 years after a CAS ruling against Crystal Palace, are allowed to make up to three changes to their squad before the knockout rounds. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo is under pressure amid reports of strained relations with the club owner, adding to the challenges faced by the team as they prepare for their Europa League campaign.