(Credit: Imago)

Evan Lloyd

Mon 11 May 2026 9:01, UK

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Vitor Pereira may regret the decision to start Stefan Ortega over Matz Sels in Nottingham Forest’s 4-0 Europa League semi-final defeat to Aston Villa last week.

The German was not obviously at fault for any of the four goals, and made several saves to keep the visitors in the game.

But after Sels’ performance in Nottingham Forest’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Sunday, Pereira may be left wondering what if?

The Belgian was in imperious form, keeping out effort after effort before he was finally beaten when Harvey Barnes went through on goal.

Elliot Anderson scored in the final stages to see Nottingham Forest secure a point, which would ultimately clinch Premier League safety when West Ham lost to Arsenal later in the day.

Matz Sels makes point vs Newcastle United

Football Insider exclusively revealed in April that Ortega will leave Nottingham Forest this summer, with transfer chiefs at the City Ground keen to sign a new shot-stopper in the summer.

The German joined the Tricky Trees in February, leaving Manchester City on a cut-price deal after he had failed to make a single appearance for Pep Guardiola’s side this season.

After initially covering for Sels in the Premier League, the 33-year-old adopted the role of Europa League goalkeeper and enjoyed particularly impressive performances against FC Porto in the quarter-final.

But as Nottingham Forest travelled to Villa Park for the semi-final second leg with a 1-0 lead last week, there must have been a part of Pereira’s mind telling him to drop Ortega for Sels.

The Belgian added some weight to those thoughts on Sunday after he impressed against Newcastle. The 34-year-old made huge saves to deny Will Osula and Bruno Guimaraes, keeping Nottingham Forest in the game and allowing for Anderson’s late equaliser.

There is no guarantee that he would have had any more success than Ortega with Villa’s efforts, but it may be a thought that keeps Pereira up at night for some time.

Nottingham Forest goalkeeping situation unclear

While Ortega is set to leave this summer, Sels’ future at the City Ground is also far from secure.

The goalkeeper will have just one year remaining on his deal, and it is unclear whether transfer chiefs plan to sign a new number one.

A feasible scenario could see both goalkeepers leave the club this summer, with a new, younger number one targeted in between the sticks.

But Nottingham Forest would be wise to keep hold of Sels, with the experienced shot-stopper clearly still more than capable of performing at the top level.