Nottingham Forest will be hoping they can get off to a winning start in the 2021/22 campaign, which is set to get underway in August. 

The Reds finished 17th in the Championship table this term, in what was a frustrating league campaign for the City Ground faithful to witness.

With fans set to be back in attendance ahead of the new season, the Forest supporters will be eager to see their side challenge higher up the second tier standings.

Chris Hughton's side are set to face Coventry City in their first match of the 2021/22 season, in what could potentially be a tricky test for the Reds.

We take an early look at what Nottingham Forest's starting XI could look like against Coventry City on the opening day of the Championship season.

Find out which player starts us off between the posts for the Reds, on the next page....

Brice Samba is a certain starter for Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season, providing the goalkeeper is fit enough to be available for selection.

Samba was Chris Hughton's first-choice goalkeeper during the 2020/21 season, having made 46 appearances in all competitions for the Reds.

The shot-stopper has caught the eye with some strong performances for Forest, but will be eager to cut out some costly errors heading into the new season.

If he can do that, then Samba shouldn't have any concerns over his starting spot ahead of their season opener against Coventry City.

Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel could be in line to be given an opportunity in the Nottingham Forest first-team heading into the new season.

The right-back spent last year's campaign on loan with Blackpool, and made 35 appearances for the Tangerines, as they won promotion into the Championship.

At the age of 22, he'll be hoping he can make a positive impact in the Nottingham Forest first-team this term, starting against Coventry City on August 7th.

With Cyrus Christie returning to Fulham from his loan spell at the City Ground, it's the perfect opportunity for the youngster to make his mark in the senior squad.

Scott McKenna is the first central defender up, with the Scottish international likely to be involved against the Sky Blues, providing he can stay injury-free.

McKenna signed for Nottingham Forest back in 2020, and went on to make 31 appearances for Chris Hughton's side in the 2020/21 league campaign.

The defender could have an important role to play for Forest next term, with Joe Worrall potentially moving on this summer, amid interest from other clubs.

At the age of 24, McKenna will still feel as though he has his best years ahead of him, and Hughton will be hoping he can perform to a high standard this term.

Loic Mbe Soh made eight appearances for Nottingham Forest in the 2020/21 season, in what was his first year with the Championship side, after previously being on books with French giants PSG.

The centre-back put in some strong performances for the Reds last term, as they avoided relegation into League One under the management of Chris Hughton.

Joe Worrall continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League, with the likes of Burnley and West Ham United reportedly being keen on signing him before the summer transfer window closes.

It wouldn't come as much of a surprise to see Worrall depart, which could result in Soh being given an opportunity to start their opener against Coventry City.

Tyler Blackett is the likely starter at left-back for Nottingham Forest in their season opener against Coventry City.

The former Manchester United and Reading defender has been with the Reds since 2020, and made 16 appearances for Chris Hughton's side last season.

Forest haven't been linked with many defenders this summer, which could hint that Chris Hughton is satisfied with the options he has available to him already.

Yuri Ribeiro left the club when his contract expired, whilst Forest are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Gaetan Bong according to The Athletic.

Ryan Yates is the first central midfielder in the team, with Chris Hughton often relying on the 23-year-old during the 2020/21 campaign.

Yates is a player that divides the City Ground faithful, but he did pop up with some important goals for Nottingham Forest last term, as they avoided an almost unthinkable relegation into the third tier of English football.

He made 36 appearances in total last season, and will be hoping that he can hit the ground running, with Yates having a more important role to play, especially now that James Garner has returned to Manchester United from his loan spell at the City Ground.

Emiliano Marcondes could be a potential new addition to the Nottingham Forest team this summer.

The midfielder scored in Brentford's play-off final win over Swansea City at Wembley, but he departed at the end of his contract with the Bees.

The Daily Mail have previously reported that Nottingham Forest are rivalling Barnsley to the potential signing of the 26-year-old this summer.

If Forest were to strike an agreement to sign Marcondes this summer, then it would be a real statement of intent, and he'd offer them a real threat going forwards next season.

Brennan Johnson is highly likely to be involved in the Nottingham Forest first-team next season, after impressing out on loan with Lincoln City last season.

Johnson made 48 appearances in total for the League One side, and chipped in with 13 goals and 14 assists for the Imps, although his efforts weren't quite enough as they were beaten in the play-off final against Blackpool.

The youngster has been linked with a move to Barnsley already this summer, but no official bids have been lodged by any interested parties.

The City Ground faithful will be hoping that Johnson can stick around and play his part for Nottingham Forest in their season opener against Coventry City and for this year's league campaign.

Joe Lolley is the next player on the list, with the winger looking to get back to his best ahead of the 2021/22 league campaign in August.

The winger has shown in previous seasons that he can perform to a high standard at this level, but he struggled with injuries and inconsistencies last term.

Lolley made 30 appearances for Chris Hughton's side last season, before having his campaign cut short with an injury sustained against Reading back in March 2021.

If he can recapture his best form, then Lolley could cause all sorts of problems for Coventry City on the opening day of the Championship season.

Alex Mighten could line up in the central attacking midfield role, with the young Forest talent catching the eye with a number of strong showings last term.

The 19-year-old made 24 league appearances for Nottingham Forest in the 2020/21 season, although just 13 of those were starts in that campaign.

But with Filip Krovinovic returning to Benfica from his loan spell with the Reds, Mighten is likely to benefit from more game time in the 2021/22 season.

This could be the year where Mighten builds on some eye-catching displays, and plays an important role for Forest, as they target a top-half finish next term.

Jerry Yates is another potential new signing on the list, with the Blackpool forward reportedly being eyed by Nottingham Forest this summer, according to Football Insider.

Yates caught the eye with a number of impressive performances for the Tangerines, as they won promotion into the Championship via the play-offs, whilst under the management of Neil Critchley.

The forward netted 21 league goals from his 47 appearances in the 2020/21 season, and it appears as though his strong showings haven't gone unnoticed.

If Forest were to push ahead with a move for Yates, then he could turn out to be a solid addition to Chris Hughton's side.