As the Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool clash kicks off at 4 p.m., the results might be a decider for the league leaders. Both teams face challenges regarding players' readiness and availability ahead of the crucial match.

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has provided updates on several players' fitness. Chris Wood, Ibrahim Sangare, and Willy Boly are nearing returns, although it remains uncertain if any of them will be available for Saturday's match. However, Ola Aina and Nuno Tavares remain sidelined.

On the Liverpool side, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai could make their return after resuming training on Thursday. Andy Robertson and Wataru Endo are expected to train on Friday and might be back in contention. However, nine other players are ruled out, including key figures like Mohamed Salah, Alisson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

In terms of head-to-head statistics, Liverpool has struggled in away matches against Nottingham Forest, failing to win in their last 13 top-flight encounters. The City Ground has proven to be a challenging venue for Liverpool, where they have failed to secure a victory in their previous Premier League visits.

Nottingham Forest, under Nuno Espirito Santo, has shown improvement, winning three out of nine league games. Notably, they have secured victories against top-eight teams like Aston Villa, Manchester United, and West Ham. However, they have struggled defensively, conceding in all nine Premier League matches under Nuno.

Taiwo Awoniyi has been instrumental for Nottingham Forest, contributing to 15 goals in his last 19 Premier League appearances. Divock Origi, on the other hand, has struggled to find the net, failing to score in his last 13 Premier League appearances.

Liverpool boasts an impressive record against teams in the bottom half of the table this season, remaining unbeaten in 15 league games. They have shown resilience by collecting 22 points from losing positions and currently lead the top-flight in terms of goals scored.

Luis Diaz has been in fine form for Liverpool, directly involved in five goals in his last five league appearances. Overall, Liverpool aims to secure their 19th Premier League victory of the season, which would equal their final tally from the previous campaign under Jurgen Klopp's management.

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