The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Friday 6th February) Forest rocked by injuries ahead of Leeds clash
Good Morning. It's Friday 6th February, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Forest rocked by injuries
Notingham Forest could be without two of their most influential players as they travel up to Elland Road this evening. In his pre‑match press conference, Tricky Trees boss Sean Dyche warned that winger Callum Hudson‑Odoi and shotstopper Mats Selz are both rated doubtful for the bottom of the table six-pointer. The Midland outfit are already without Chris Wood (knee), John Victor (knee), Nicolo Savona (knee) and Nico Williams (suspended), but have shrudely invested in the likes of seasoned veteran Stefan Ortega for a modest £500,000 fee from Manchester City, left-back Luca Netz and 6 foot 8' Italian International powerhouse Lorenzo Lucca, softening the blow.
“Callum has got a knock on his shoulder. He landed on it awkwardly. We have had it checked, and there’s nothing too serious, but it’s a painful one,” Dyche explained. “We will have to make a decision in preparation for the game.” The goalkeeper situation is equally uncertain. “It’s still a bit sore (Selz groin injury). We’ll take an opinion over the next few days to learn the extent of it. There’s a chance he will play, so we will see how it settles,” the Forest manager added. Forest’s depth will be tested, but their list of talent runs a lot lot deeper than anything Daniel Farke can call upon..
Foxes doct points after over-spending when beating Leeds to promotion
Leicester City have been docked six‑points by the English Football League for breaching the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) for the 2023/24 campaign, the season they narrowly beat Leeds Utd to promotion. The sanction, confirmed after a rigorous audit of the club’s accounts, stems from cumulative losses that topped £200 million across the three‑year window ending 30 June 2024, a figure that far exceeds the EFL’s tolerance threshold. Once the deduction is applied, the Foxes tumble to 20th place in the Championship, hanging on the brink of the relegation zone and surviving solely on goal difference.
This is not Leicester’s first brush with financial‑fair‑play scrutiny. A previous investigation in 2021 resulted in a modest fine and a stern warning, yet the club’s owners persisted with an aggressive spend‑to‑on‑field‑success model that ultimately proved unsustainable. In September 2024, Leicester successfully won an appeal against a separate Premier League charge related to the 2022/23 season. An independent panel ruled that because the club was relegated before its accounting period officially ended (June 30), the Premier League did not have the jurisdiction to sanction them for that specific period.
A six‑point hit is nothing more than a token gesture, and will do nothing to deter clubs from breaking the rules, as the punishment is worth the risk. We've seen clubs like West Ham splash out £45m during the Winter transfer window, in a last gasp effort to avoid relegation. If the Hammers avoid the drop at Leeds expense, but break FFP rules in the process, I can't help but wonder what the Premier League would do about it?