The 26-year-old needed stitches across his forehead and down to the top of his nose but was included on the Forest bench in Thursday night’s Europa League semi-final showdown with Aston Villa.
Vitor Pereira’s side’s led 1-0 after last week’s first leg at the City Ground but conceded four without reply last night as their European dream came to an end.
Gibbs-White, wearing a protective face mask, did not come off the bench with Pereira later revealing there was never any real chance he would call upon his midfielder.
‘No, [not] even for penalties,’ Pereira said. ‘I asked them to be there with us to try to give us the energy but they are not in conditions to play. Gibbs-White, not in condition. [Ibrahim] Sangare is not in condition. Dan Ndoye is not in condition.
‘Murillo was not in condition but after, Jair [Cunha] had problems, and we risk a bit, but he’s not in condition. There is a lot of players all out.’
Gibbs-White warmed up in a protective face mask (Picture: Getty)
Forest will be safe from relegation if they beat Newcastle on Sunday and West Ham fail to beat league leaders Arsenal later that day.
When asked if Gibbs-White will be available for the visit of Eddie Howe’s side, Pereira said: ‘I don’t know.
‘Aina, out. Dan Ndoye, out. Sangare, out. Callum, out. Murillo, out. Morgan, out. It is too much. I don’t know if some or one of them can recover for the next match. I don’t know.’
Gibbs-White has seven goals in his last eight games (Picture: Getty)
Asked if those players would make it back before the season comes to its conclusion, the Forest boss added: ‘I cannot answer because I don’t know.
‘I don’t know about Morgan. I don’t know about Ola. Callum is finished [for] the season. I don’t know about Murillo. Dan, I think Dan maybe can come back.
‘But in the end, I need tomorrow. That’s the day to understand the situation.’
Tchouameni and his Real Madrid teammate were involved in a fight on Thursday (Picture: Getty)
Ruud Gullit is not convinced Aurelien Tchouameni will leave Real Madrid following his training ground fight with Federico Valverde, insisting ‘football can’t exist without conflict.’
Having had an argument on Wednesday, things turned physical the following day with the latest row reportedly sparked when Valverde refused to shake Tchouameni’s hand.
During the incident, Valverde was taken to hospital with a head injury, later explaining he suffered a ‘cut on my forehead’ caused when he ‘accidentally hit a table’.
The explosive row came just three days before El Clasico where Barcelona will be crowned champions if they beat their arch-rivals. Real have opened disciplinary proceedings against both players with Valverde already ruled out of Sunday’s game as a result of his injury.
The Uruguay international apologised for the incident in a lengthy Instagram post last night, insisting: ‘In a normal locker room, these things can happen and are usually resolved internally without it becoming public knowledge.’
The midfielders had to be separated by their teammates (Picture: Getty)
Officials at United might feel the drama engulfing Real could work in their favour but Dutch legend Gullit believes incidents even as chaotic as this week’s in the Spanish capital are ‘normal’.
‘[The fight] That’s normal. Come on. In my day, every week there was always something going on,’ Gullit told Metro via MrRaffle.com.
‘I don’t care about that – that’s a normal thing and it has to happen. You need to get rid of your frustration. In a team, you don’t need to like each other. You can dislike someone, but you have to respect them because they’re an important asset to the team. But conflict will always come. It must. Football can’t exist without conflict.’
Gullit is no stranger to training ground rows (Picture: Getty)
United have Tchouameni on their shortlist of midfield targets that also includes Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and others. While their interest in the former Monaco star is ambitious, reports have suggested the future of Manchester City star Rodri could be a pivotal factor if Real were to firm up their interest in the Spain international.
Gullit only sees one scenario where a player of the France international’s calibre leaves Real and suggests United may need to look elsewhere.
‘Look, Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world. Nobody refuses Real Madrid. Nobody,’ Gullit said.
‘You don’t say, “No thanks.” So to leave Real Madrid, there’s only one reason – if they tell you we’re signing someone else and you’re going in a different direction. But you don’t leave just because you want to go somewhere else. It doesn’t happen.’
Premier League leaders Arsenal visit relegation-battlers West Ham on Sunday after title rivals Manchester City play host to Brentford the day before.
The Premier League action begins on Saturday night with struggling Chelsea taking on Liverpool at Anfield.
In-form Manchester United then face Sunderland, basement boys Wolves visit Brighton and Europe-chasing Bournemouth meet Fulham.
There are three 2pm kick-offs on Sunday with Burnley hosting Aston Villa, Everton travelling to Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest taking on Newcastle United.
A hugely important weekend of Premier League action ends on Monday night with relegation rivals Tottenham and Leeds United meeting in north London.
As ever, England legend and Betfair ambassador Alan Shearer has revealed his Premier League predictions to Metro.
Arsenal are closing in on the Premier League title (Picture: Getty)
Liverpool v Chelsea
It’s a big opportunity for Liverpool here. Chelsea look a mess, don’t they? I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, but whatever happens at the top of the club always filters down onto the pitch, and that’s exactly what’s happening now.
It looks as if their players are trying to get through the season to the FA Cup Final, and then see what happens. It can’t look past Liverpool to win this one, and that would secure Champions League football after what’s been a really disappointing season for them.
Having watched Chelsea v Forest the other night, Chelsea were shocking, they were abysmal and there has to be a massive improvement from that, because you can’t just turn it on and off. You can’t just turn up and think, oh, we’ll get through to the FA Cup Final and see what happens.
They’re really struggling now for European football next season, let alone Champions League football. I just don’t know what to expect from Chelsea.
Prediction – Liverpool win
Up Next
Brighton v Wolves
I think Brighton played some really good stuff at Newcastle last week without success, and I’d more than expect them to bounce back at home to Wolves on Saturday.
If there is one team you want to play to bounce back and get a result this season more times than not it has been Wolves.
Prediction – Brighton win
Fulham v Bournemouth
Bournemouth could put the pressure on those teams currently in the Champions League spots on Saturday because their recruitment has been unbelievable this season.
For them to sell who they’ve sold and be in a much better position than they were last year is incredible, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they went to Fulham and took all three points, so I’m going to say three points for Bournemouth.
Fulham have been a bit better at home, but they are difficult to predict, and with uncertainty about the manager, for all those reasons, I’ll go for an away win.
Prediction – Bournemouth win
Departing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola (Picture: Getty)
Sunderland v Manchester United
For a long time, Sunderland were brilliant at home being So tough to beat but that has not been the case of late. I guess with Xhaka being out for that amount of time, it didn’t help them. They got stung a couple of times. Yeah, tough one to predict, this one. I’m going to go for a draw.
I would hope Man United won’t be on the beach now having qualified for Champions League football next season. I would hope that because of what the manager’s done and the success that he’s had, that they’d want to stamp his authority on the team and help get him the job and that means going and winning every game between now and the end of the season.
Prediction – Draw
Manchester City v Brentford
Brentford have European hopes and they’ve had a brilliant season. They’ll go into it full of confidence with nothing to fear. But I’d be amazed if City didn’t get the job done, particularly with City being at home, I’d be amazed if City didn’t take all three points especially after dropping points to Everton last time out. They will want to bounce back and I think they will here.
Prediction – Manchester City win
Up Next
Burnley v Aston Villa
Aston Villa were poor against Spurs last week and they know what they need to do to get Champions League football next season, and depending on what happens tomorrow evening in Europe they might need to win even more than they did.
As you know, no one’s got that belief in Burnley. They’ve got rid of the manager, the season can’t end quick enough for them, so an away win for Aston Villa. Whatever happens to them in the Europa League on Thursday.
Prediction – Aston Villa win
Crystal Palace v Everton
Everton would’ve taken the point on Monday before the game against City, it’s just the manner that it happened though, you get into a great position at 3-1 and then you give two late goals away. They just switched off after they scored that third goal.
I think Crystal Palace will do what they’ve done in the last few games, which is rest 3 or 4 players and leave them on the bench. I think they’ll do the same again, and for that reason, I’ll say Everton will win.
Prediction – Everton win
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle
Tough one to predict, depending on what happens with Nottingham Forest in Europe. I mean, Morgan Gibbs-White is flying. I know he got an injury the other day, whether he’ll be fit or not, we’ll have to wait and see.
But again, I think, given the circumstances, with Forest in Europe and Newcastle winning last weekend, I’m going to say a draw.
Prediction – Draw
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe (Picture: Getty)
West Ham v Arsenal
I think West Ham were really poor defensively at Brentford last weekend. They gave too many chances away, too many goals.
I think Arsenal will win this weekend having that belief and confidence that they’ve got at the club now, knowing that it’s such a tough game, but I’m just going to edge on the side of Arsenal taking the three points, which would put West Ham in a difficult position in terms of relegation.
Prediction – Arsenal win
Tottenham v Leeds United
Leeds are going to play a huge part in who gets relegated, because they play both Spurs and West Ham. It’s fascinating, but I think with what I saw from Spurs last week, they may just have enough now to stay up. And I guess with the energy that they showed the other day, I think they’ll have enough to beat Leeds at home. Spurs to win.
Roberto De Zerbi has got a shift out of those players, and you didn’t see any of that six or seven weeks ago. It looks a brilliant move now to bring De Zerbi in when they did, that’s the reason why they did it then it was to get something different out of the players that they had not been showing, and it looks as if he’s getting that difference now which they’ve not had for large parts of this season, or for any of the season.
