Brighton v Nottingham Forest LIVE: Team news and line-ups from FA Cup quarter-final – UK Times

With the line-up confirmed, we now know that Danny Welbeck is preferred to Joao Pedro up front and young Swedish midfielder Yasin Ayari is trusted in the engine room alongside Carlos Baleba.

Meanwhile, for Forest, the unfortunate injury blow suffered by Chris Wood while on international duty means Taiwo Awoniyi is given a chance to start up front.

The formation appears to be a 4-2-3-1 or maybe a 4-4-1-1, with Nuno eschewing his normal back three and wing-backs for a back four. Nicolas Dominguez, Elliot Anderson and Ryan Yates all look set to start as a trio in the middle of the park

Brighton XI: Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck

Forest XI: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Dominguez, Anderson, Yates; Danilo, Gibbs-White; Awoniyi

Here’s how the sides will line up for this one this afternoon

On listening to Jan Paul van Hecke talk, you can start to understand why Fabian Hurzeler has empowered the centre-half to speak more, especially in a week like this.

Brighton and Hove Albion have been so focused on setting the right mindset that they have been sending their squad clips of late goals. The idea is to foster belief, especially as the club aims to take that crucial next step and win their first-ever major trophy through the FA Cup. “I feel like we really can do something in this cup,” Van Hecke says.

The Dutch centre-half’s approach helps. “I like to motivate other players,” Van Hecke explains, but staff say that is typical of this leader’s humility. The 24-year-old has naturally emerged as a senior voice.

Read the full interview below:

Brighton’s last meeting with Nottingham Forest was one they won’t be able to forget for a long, long time.

Thrashed 7-0 at the City Ground earlier this year, Brighton fell to the knees of high-flying Forest, with a Chris Wood hat-trick propelling the hosts to the rout.

A result that could easily derail a season, Brighton have since found form and go into today’s clash with their tails up.

They’ll be desperate to inflict some revenge on Nuno Espirito Santo’s side by curtailing their dreams of FA Cup glory.

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Brighton XI: Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Gomez; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Pedro.

Forest XI: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Dominguez, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Awoniyi.

Goalkeeper Carlos Miguel is the only other injury worry, with Santo likely to pick a similar side to the one fans have become accustomed to seeing.

Antony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi will play behind the striker, with Elliott Anderson in midfield and the settled back five of Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo and Williams.

For the hosts, Tariq Lamptey is out with an ankle issue having only just served suspension.

There will be late fitness tests for Lewis Dunk, Solly March, Joel Veltman and Matthew O’Riley, who could all make a return to the squad.

Ferdi Kadioglu is slightly further from a return, while Igor Julio, James Milner and Jason Steele are the long-term absentees.

The FA Cup quarter-final will kick off at 5.15pm on Saturday, 29 March at the Amex Stadium in Brighton.

The match will be shown free-to-air on BBC One, with coverage starting at 5pm. Subscribers can also stream the action online via BBC iPlayer.

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of today’s FA Cup quarter-final clash between Brighton and Nottingham Forest.

Two sides who have their tails up in the Premier League, both Brighton and Champions League-chasing Forest will fancy their chances of silverware this season and will look to go one step closer to FA Cup glory this evening.

We’ve got all the build-up and play-by-play action, right here.