Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup Third Round will be seen as a potential giant-slaying opportunity for the Championship side, but also, a welcomed break from league action for Sean Dyche’s men.
Sitting precariously above the relegation zone, could an FA Cup run be what ignites Forest’s season once again?
Facing a play-off chasing side won’t be an easy task for the Tricky Trees away from home; however, a victory is a must to avoid further disappointment on Trentside.
Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest: Team News
The hosts are going through somewhat of an injury crisis with several players missing ahead of this FA Cup Third Round tie.
Lewis Brunt, Ryan Hardie, Aaron James, Elliot Lee, Kieffer Moore and Danny Ward are all out with injury.
Issa Kabore’s Burkina Faso were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations as he failed to feature in the competition, so he could return to the Wrexham squad if needed.
From their last Premier League outing against West Ham, John Victor was out of action after picking up an injury against Aston Villa.
Ryan Yates, Chris Wood and Dan Ndoye were also missing through injury, while Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangare were out in Morocco representing Ivory Coast in the knocked stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Red Dragons’ Chance For A Giant Killing
After three consecutive promotions, the first team to ever achieve that feat, Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham team are on a roll and flying high in ninth place in the Championship, one point off the play-off places.
Entering at the FA Cup Third Round stage, it will be completely uncharted territory for the Red Dragons after spending most of the last 20 years bouncing between League Two and the National League.
After back-to-back runs into the Fourth Round, last season saw them falter at the first hurdle as they were beaten by Harrogate Town.
Performing well in the Carabao Cup proves that Wrexham can perform in cup competitions, but with that being said, the Welsh outfit haven’t really been tested by a side higher than them in the pyramid and this will be the perfect time for them to test their powers.
With this being the Red Dragons’ first game against Premier League opposition in what seems forever, the chance of a giant killing is massive.
Wrexham’s Carabao Cup success just underlines that they can have a good cup run, but with opponents relatively weaker than them, can this FA Cup tie provide Wrexham with another platform to make more headlines?
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Forest’s Chance To Revive Their Season
Turning away from league action could be the best thing to have happened for Nottingham Forest as their Premier League season has been nothing short of dismal.
The two-time FA Cup winners sit 17th in the league, and after such a successful 2024/25 season, they have endured way too many ups and downs this time around.
First, the numerous signings that haven’t exactly worked out, then the managerial changes that have happened.
Forest have been led by Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche this season, with the latter still in charge but under increasing pressure with recent results going against him.
Since their promotion back to the Premier League, their FA Cup runs have improved as they managed to reach the semi-final last season.
Which brings us to the current season and an FA Cup run may be something that Forest need the most.
Yes, they are still challenging in the Europa League with two games to go and the Reds are only two points off a guaranteed spot in the last 16.
Whilst challenging on the European front may be important, a good, old-fashioned FA Cup run may be better for team morale, player satisfaction and for the club as a whole.
This could see their performances pick up as they look to again keep their place in the top-flight, and with the squad at their disposal, they should be aiming for that and even more.
Head-to-Head
Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest has only ever happened three times, and it has always been in cup competition, twice in the League Cup and once in the FA Cup.
Their first meeting was in the 1982 FA Cup as the Welsh outfit ran out 3-1 victors to progress into the next round of the competition.
However, 11 years later, Forest came with vengeance, and after drawing the first leg of their Second Round League Cup tie 3-3, the Reds made home advantage count and knocked the Red Dragons out of the competition by winning 3-1 and 6-4 on aggregate.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Recording Date: 04.01.2026
