Nottingham Forest could arguably not face a tougher test in their next match in the Sky Bet Championship.
The Reds take on league leaders West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday.
Sabri Lamouchi’s side go into the game on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night.
Forest are currently in fifth place in the league standings, while the Baggies are guaranteed to be top of the table even if they drop points against Reading on Wednesday night.
The EFL have confirmed who the referee will be for Forest’s trip to The Hawthorns, with Keith Stroud selected as the man in the middle.
He will be assisted by James Mainwaring and Mark Pottage, while Darren Bond will be the fourth official.
This will be the first time that Stroud has refereed a Forest game this season, having taken charge of 23 Reds encounters in his career so far.
The last time Forest had Stroud as their referee was for the 1-1 draw away to Ipswich Town in March.
Forest have not won any of the last three matches that Stroud has taken charge of, with the 50-year-old also refereeing last season’s goalless draw with Derby County at Pride Park, as well as the 2-1 home defeat to Norwich City.
You have to back to March 2018 for the last time Forest were on the winning side for a match that Stroud has officiated, which saw the Reds claim a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City.
In the 23 Forest matches that Stroud has officiated, Forest have lost 12, drawn six and won five.
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