FOREST: SQUAD COMPETING FOR PLACES

FREEVIEW: GARRY MONK PRE-FOREST 25.8.16

United boss looks ahead to Saturday's trip to the City Ground...

United boss Garry Monk admits he is posed with something of a selection headache as he prepares for Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.

Tuesday’s EFL Cup victory at Luton Town saw Monk make 11 changes from the weekend’s impressive win away to Sheffield Wednesday, and a pleasing outcome at Kenilworth Road has led to a number of players pushing for a Championship start.

United have no fresh injury concerns for the City Ground visit, with full-back Gaetano Berardi remaining the only long-term absentee.

“Everyone’s good at this moment in time – as it was before Sheffield Wednesday,” Monk explained. “There’s only Berardi that’s injured at the moment, so it’s good news.

“Everyone came through Tuesday unscathed. There were some tired legs towards the end, which is to be expected, but they all came through.

“It’s never easy to pick a team when it’s very competitive. As I have been doing, I’ll look at the opposition and see how we can best affect them, best defend against their strengths and pick a team accordingly.

“As the season goes on, we’ll have a more settled squad. I’m sure the squad will feel more settled once the window closes and understand where it stands – then we can work in an even better way.

“It should always be like that in a squad where there’s competition for places – and healthy competition.

“We’ve got a lot of young players in the squad, which is always good, but sometimes they need a bit of help.

“That’s why we’ve tried to strengthen and we’re looking to strengthen even more just to give that bit of experience and that bit more help to the squad.

“But I can’t complain at all – since I came through the door, everyone’s attitude and desire to do the work and improve has been apparent in every day that I’ve worked with them. We have to continue in that way.”

United head to the City Ground looking to build on back-to-back victories heading into the first international break of the campaign, while Forest enter the clash having won their two home league fixtures so far this term.

Monk added: “In terms of Saturday’s game, we want to finish this period on a high and on a positive like we have been doing.

“If we can do that, we can go into the international break, put the good work in and come out of the other side ready to continue.

“Nottingham Forest are a very good team – they pose a big threat, especially going forward. We have to be really on our game.

“They have a really good manager as well – you can see the way he’s going to be working with them and that will improve.

“It will be an interesting game; one we have to be ready for. It’s a difficult place to go at the best of times.

“We have to match the levels we’ve had, especially against Sheffield Wednesday, and improve on them again.

“If we can do that, we’ll be in with a chance of having a good result. We realise it’s going to be a difficult game but one we’re going to be ready for.”

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