Nottingham Forest cannot claim to be short of options, boasting a huge squad of players brought in not only by the previous manager, but also by Martin O'Neill in this window.

Training must be tough with so many professionals on the pitch, but for the manager the job is even tougher. He's got to select a team worthy of going out and representing the shirt. After all, this season promised so much for Forest fans and has, as yet, delivered little.

They've got huge resources of quality in the squad, dead-eye goal scorers such as Lewis Grabban, creative genius like Joe Lolley and continental flair in Joao Carvalho. They've got Premier League experience, exciting youth and as many different permutations on a Saturday as a Rubik's Cube.

What they need is a method by which to blend their talent and become the play-off chasing side the expenditure deserves. That's why we've put together an experimental XI that we'd love to see Nottingham Forest trial this weekend:

 

Starting at the back, whilst we feel there's little change to be made in goal, the back four looks different to the one that lost against Birmingham. Yohan Benalouane got himself sent off, so we're suggesting he plays two new signings at centre back, Wague and Milosevic. We like the full backs, Janko and Robinson and would start them to bring some consistency to the back four.

Martin O'Neill has been playing a flat 4-4-2, but if he wants to get the best out of Joao Carvalho we think he needs to switch to a diamond. That would give Jack Colback the responsibility of protecting the back four and allow the Portuguese to push on and support an ambitious double up front.

Out wide Joe Lolley has to play, he's been one of their star performers this season and in Matty Cash they have a homegrown hero we'd love to see more of.

That leaves two up front, but we'd definitely drop Daryl Murphy. Lewis Grabban is the most prolific striker in the Championship over an eighteen month period and he absolutely has to start, with Leo Bonatini also impressive at the beginning of last season.

Forest need goals and as the likes of Charlton have proven in League One, an old fashioned double act up top can still reap rewards.