Morgan Gibbs-White is fit to return for Nottingham Forest at Ipswich Town on Friday night, in a major boost for Oliver Glasner ahead of a crunch Premier League clash at Portman Road.
The Forest captain missed the Arsenal defeat last weekend with a minor muscle issue picked up against Crystal Palace, but Glasner confirmed he has trained all week and is ready to face Ipswich.
"Yes, he's ready, he trained for the entire week, so no issues," Glasner told reporters, in quotes reported by Sports Mole. "When Morgan is available again, it's important. He is somebody who can create chances, who can score goals himself."
Why Gibbs-White matters so much to Forest
The numbers explain why Glasner protected his captain against Arsenal rather than risking a longer absence. Gibbs-White has played a direct role in three of Forest's five Premier League goals this season, with one goal and two assists in six appearances, and his career record for the club now stands at 37 goals and 37 assists in 175 appearances.
Forest are the lowest scorers in the Premier League with just five goals, have lost their last three league games and sit 19th on five points from seven matches. Their last victory came on September 12 at Aston Villa, and they have still not scored a home league goal this season.
Glasner was quick to stress that one man cannot fix that alone. "He's an important part, but he can't win the game alone, so we need a top team performance," he said, in quotes also reported by SoccerNews. "But you could also see that without Morgan, we had a very competitive team against the champions, and this gives us confidence."
Mixed team news for Glasner
There was more good news in defence. Nikola Milenkovic, who was on the bench against Arsenal, is also ready to start at Portman Road.
But Forest will still be without two players. Igor Jesus (calf) and Nicolo Savona (knee) cannot be involved, Glasner confirmed, leaving Liam Delap to lead the line against his former club. Delap has scored just one Premier League goal for Forest this season and heads back to Portman Road, where he was Ipswich's top scorer in 2024-25, under real pressure to deliver.
Ipswich, by contrast, start the night 10th on nine points, have won two of their three home league games this season, and pushed Manchester City hard in a 3-2 defeat last weekend. A win on Friday would lift Gary O'Neil's side into sixth, at least temporarily.
So what does this mean?
This is no ordinary Friday-night fixture. Forest's underlying numbers say they are creating enough — an expected goals total of 11.2 is the seventh-best in the division — but scoring six goals fewer than that figure is the biggest xG underperformance in the Premier League. Gibbs-White's return is aimed squarely at that problem: better final balls, and a midfielder who shoots himself.
For Glasner, the stakes are personal as well as collective. Three straight defeats, 19th place and a goal-shy attack have brought early scrutiny of his approach, and a fourth defeat at a newly promoted side would turn a difficult start into a crisis before November. A win, with his captain back, would instead be a platform: Forest's next run will look very different if their best player is fit and firing.
The 1-0 home loss to Arsenal showed Forest can compete without Gibbs-White. Friday will show whether they can finally finish with him.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Gibbs-White's return removes Glasner's last excuse. Forest are not short of chances, structure or effort — they are short of quality in the final third, and their captain is that quality. If he starts and Forest still draw a blank at Ipswich, the problem is no longer injuries. It is the team Glasner has built around him.
Can Gibbs-White inspire Forest to a first win since September at Portman Road? Let us know what you think in the comments.
