fenerbahçe - nottingham forest: Tedesco backs Sidiki start as hosts hit by early injury and three-goal deficit

Fenerbahçe head coach Domenico Tedesco defended his selection of Sidiki Cherif ahead of the UEFA Europa League last-16 play-off first leg against Nottingham Forest on Thursday evening (ET), even as the home side were rocked by a first-half injury to captain Milan Skriniar and fell 3-0 behind early in the second half.

Tedesco explains Sidiki pick and offensive setup

Tedesco spoke before kickoff about the thinking behind his forward choices, highlighting that Sidiki Cherif was fully fit and cleared by the club’s athletic and medical departments. "Sidiki is ready; if he weren't, we wouldn't play him, " Tedesco said, stressing the staff would not take unnecessary risks with players who do not feel right. He described Sidiki as a versatile striker who combines pivot play, runs behind the defense and the ability to link play while helping defensively — the very mix Tedesco said he wanted in his front line.

Explaining how different forwards offer different roles, Tedesco contrasted the profiles of Talisca and Kerem with Sidiki. He said Talisca prefers to receive the ball facing goal and drift to the left, rather than making runs in behind, while Kerem is more of a runner and can operate as a second striker. With ambitions to dominate the game and score freely, Tedesco confirmed he would field multiple offensive players to press and create chances.

Match twists: Skriniar out, early Forest strike and a 3-0 hole

The match in Kadıköy turned sour for the hosts early. Milan Skriniar picked up a yellow card in the ninth minute and then suffered a significant issue in the 23rd minute when he went down in midfield. Medical staff were summoned and the captain was unable to continue; Skriniar was replaced in the 26th minute by Çağlar Söyüncü.

Nottingham Forest struck first when Murillo raced onto a midfield ball and curled a finish into the far corner in the 21st minute to make it 1-0. The visitors doubled their lead late in the first half when Igor Jesus converted from a corner sequence in the 43rd minute, leaving Fenerbahçe trailing 2-0 at the break. Just after the restart, Morgan Gibbs-White headed home in the 51st minute to extend the deficit to 3-0, compounding the hosts’ defensive and injury concerns.

The officiating team was led by referee Sandro Scharer. The early redirection of Fenerbahçe’s defensive structure after Skriniar’s withdrawal will be a focal point ahead of the return leg in England.

Squad fitness notes and Archie Brown’s cautious return

Tedesco confirmed two notable absences from the matchday picture. Edson Álvarez remains sidelined following ankle surgery and was unavailable for the tie. Archie Brown, who has been sidelined with his longest injury layoff to date, was included in the squad but Tedesco signalled he would not be risked to start; Brown has trained with the group but the coach indicated caution will prevail.

Brown himself addressed the atmosphere and his feelings on returning to the squad: "I'm excited. It was the longest injury of my career. I'm very happy to be back and to be able to help the team. Being in Kadıköy and feeling this atmosphere is great. Both I and my teammates are ready, " he said, while reiterating that the team will take the season match by match with European and domestic fixtures tightly contested.

Two players entered the fixture on yellow-card alert: Nelson Semedo and Oğuz Aydın. Both carried two bookings in the competition and would miss the Feb. 26 second leg in England if they pick up another card in this match.

Fenerbahçe now face a challenging task to overturn a three-goal deficit in the return leg, with Tedesco’s offensive gamble and the fitness of key defenders set to shape the club’s strategy in the coming weeks.