Nottingham Forest boss Martin O’Neill made some big calls as he rung the changes for his team’s Championship clash at Sheffield Wednesday.
With the Reds in desperate need of a win to give themselves any chance of making the play-offs, the manager made five alterations in total from the side which lost at Rotherham United last time out - including making a switch between the posts.
Goalkeeper Luke Steele came in for his first league appearance of the season, while teenager Arvin Appiah was handed his first start for the club and defender Sam Byram made his return from injury.
Left-back Jack Robinson and midfielder Ryan Yates were also recalled to the starting line-up as O’Neill went for broke against the Owls.
Shot-stopper Costel Pantilimon, Saidy Janko and Daryl Murphy all dropped to the bench, while Ben Osborn and Ben Watson were left out of the matchday squad altogether.
With a much-changed defence, it meant the visitors lined up with a back line of Byram, at right-back - with the West Ham United loanee involved for the first time since August - and Robinson on the left.
Yohan Benalouane and Molla Wague kept their places in the heart of the defence, ahead of Steele in goal.
Jack Colback also retained his spot in midfield, lining up alongside Yates, while Appiah would be part of an attacking trio also featuring Matty Cash and Joe Lolley, in support of lone striker Grabban.
Along with Pantilimon, Janko and Murphy, Joao Carvalho, Claudio Yacob, Pele and Karim Ansarifard were included on the bench.
Forest went into the match at Hillsborough looking for a first away win since November and sat five points adrift of the top six.
Forest: Steele, Byram, Wague, Benalouane, Robinson, Colback, Yates, Cash, Lolley, Appiah, Grabban. Subs: Pantilimon, Murphy, Carvalho, Janko, Yacob, Pele, Ansarifard.
