Nottingham Forest has made a surprising decision by leaving out both record signing Omari Hutchinson and former Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko from their Europa League squad. The team is only allowed to name a maximum of 25 players in their List A squad, and due to UEFA regulations, Forest is restricted to 22 players as they have only one club-trained player, Ryan Yates, on their roster.

This limitation has forced the club to omit Hutchinson, who was signed for £37.5 million from Ipswich and has made two substitute appearances since joining, as well as Zinchenko, who recently arrived on loan. Notably, the decision to leave out these players comes despite Forest's need for additional cover in key positions, particularly with Zinchenko's versatility to play both at full-back and in midfield.

Alongside Hutchinson and Zinchenko, goalkeeper Angus Gunn, defenders Jair Cunha and Cuiabano, and forward Taiwo Awoniyi were also excluded from the squad. In contrast, new signings like Dan Ndoye, Dilane Bakwa, and Douglas Luiz have been included. Forest, which spent around £140 million on 13 new signings this summer, will begin their Europa League group stage with a trip to Real Betis on September 24, followed by matches against Porto and Malmo.

There is growing pressure on manager Nuno Espirito Santo, especially amid reports of a strained relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis. However, Marinakis has since dismissed any rumors of discord, affirming that he and Nuno remain committed to the club's European ambitions.