Top scorer Lewis Grabban made his comeback as Nottingham Forest returned to action after the international break.
The Reds striker had been sidelined since mid-February with an Achilles injury, but was thrown straight into the starting line-up for the Championship clash with Swansea City.
It was one of three changes made to the first XI by boss Martin O’Neill, with Matty Cash making his first start since recovering from his own Achilles problem.
The midfielder had come off the bench last time out, in the 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, but was brought into the team at the City Ground, along with Ben Watson.
Daryl Murphy, Pele and Jack Robinson all dropped to the bench as O’Neill opted to tinker with his side.
It meant Ben Osborn was set to drop back into the left-back spot, while Molla Wague kept his place in the centre of the defence, having scored the equaliser against the Tractor Boys.
Tendayi Darikwa, at right-back, and Yohan Benalouane completed the back four, ahead of goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon.
In front of them, in what seemed likely to be a 4-3-3 formation, Watson was set to take on a holding role in midfield, with Ryan Yates and Jack Colback alongside him.
Grabban, looking to add to his 16 goals for the season, would be supported up front by Cash and Joe Lolley.
Meanwhile, midfielder Adlene Guedioura and defender Alexander Milosevic were left out of the matchday squad, with Claudio Yacob coming back into the fold, on the bench.
Along with Murphy, Robinson and Pele, he was joined by Luke Steele, Joao Carvalho and Karim Ansarifard among the substitutes.
In front of a sold-out crowd, Forest went into the game sat three points adrift of the play-off places with just eight matches remaining.
Forest: Pantilimon, Darikwa, Wague, Benalouane, Osborn, Yates, Watson, Colback, Cash, Lolley, Grabban. Subs: Steele, Murphy, Carvalho, Robinson, Yacob, Pele, Ansarifard.
