Nottingham Forest will be looking to bounce back from a defeat when they host Fulham at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.

Fulham have still not appointed a successor to Kit Symons, but the Cottagers could climb into the top half of the Championship if results go their way over the weekend.

Nottingham Forest

Relief arrived for Forest last weekend as they picked up just their second win in 11 games by beating Reading 3-1 thanks to a brace from Nelson Oliveira.

It was proof of the quality within Dougie Freedman's squad as they bounced back from falling behind early on, but Forest fans will be forgiven for not getting too excited about the victory.

The real challenge for Forest is to find the consistency required to climb up the table over the winter, and confidence should have been restored by their impressive display against the Royals.

Freedman's biggest concern will have been seeing his side play well on so many occasions without securing wins, but the performance of Oliveira last weekend comes as a huge boost to a team that has struggled in front of goal.

Only Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, MK Dons and Charlton Athletic have scored less than Forest's tally of 16 goals from 18 league games, meaning that the emergence of Oliveira as a regular scoring threat could be key.

Many believe that a change of luck against Reading was the turning point, but failure to build on the win could see any momentum halted by Fulham.

Recent form: DLLWLW

Fulham

Another week of rumours and speculation has passed, but Fulham appear to be no closer to finding a replacement for Symons, who was relieved of his duties on November 8.

It has been another frustrating couple of weeks for the team leading the search for a new manager after Steve Clarke and Gary Rowett both resisted the temptation to leave Reading and Birmingham City, respectively.

Mark Warburton emerged as the latest target for the Cottagers in recent days, but with the Rangers boss claiming that he is keen to stay in Scotland, Fulham are unlikely to have a new manager in place before they arrive at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.

Peter Grant will be given the responsibility of leading the team once again and he will be hopeful of delivering a first win as caretaker boss after draws with MK Dons and Preston in the last two games.

He has made it clear in press conferences that the current situation is affecting the players, but Ross McCormack stepped up in typical fashion to secure a point with an equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Preston.

Seven points currently separate Fulham from the playoff spots and the relegation zone, and hopes of a possible promotion push will quickly fade unless consistency is discovered in the near future.

Heading into the weekend without a win in their last four games, the pressure is on Clark to produce a response from the squad as they aim to stay in touch with the top six before a new manager arrives.

Recent form: WWLLDD

Team News

Forest boss Freedman will be forced into one change with Jack Hobbs absent after his red card against Reading, and Kelvin Wilson is likely to replace him in the centre of defence.

Changes are unlikely elsewhere, which means that Chris O'Grady should retain his place alongside Oliveira in attack.

Richard Stearman, Tom Cairney, Moussa Dembele and Sakari Matilla have all been battling injuries this week, but decisions are yet to be made about the quartet's availability.

Dembele has struggled with a muscle problem in training and he is likely to be replaced by Cauley Woodrow if he does not prove his fitness.

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
De Vries; Lichaj, Hobbs, Mills, Pinillos; Mendes, Lansbury, Vaughan, Osborn; Oliveira, O'Grady

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Lewis; Fredericks, Stearman, Ream, Husband; Parker, O'Hara, Hutchinson, Cairney; McCormack, Dembele

Head To Head

Supporters were treated to thrillers between these two sides last season as Forest claimed a 5-3 victory at the City Ground, before Fulham hit back with a 3-2 win in the reverse fixture in January.

Forest head into this weekend's meeting having beaten Fulham in just one of their seven meetings since the 1999/2000 campaign.

We say: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Fulham

It is never easy to predict what Fulham will produce, but they should be tested by a Forest side full of confidence after their victory last weekend. Much will depend on how Forest handle the threat posed by McCormack, and whether Fulham can finally deliver a strong defensive display for 90 minutes. There is not much to separate these two sides and they could be forced to settle for a point each.