Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham: Unless Vitor Pereira’s facet can rediscover their magic at dwelling, they appear to be they’re heading for the Championship, writes TOM COLLOMOSSE

A message to Evangelos Marinakis: Forget the Champions League dream.

The chances of Nottingham Forest winning the Europa League are vanishingly unlikely and the longer they pursue it, the more likely it is that they will start next season in the Championship.

On Sunday, Forest travel to Tottenham for what might prove their most important match of the campaign, following the goalless draw with Fulham. Three days earlier, they will be in Denmark to try to overturn a 1-0 deficit against FC Midtjylland and advance to the last eight in Europe.

If boss Vitor Pereira tries to name largely the same side for both matches, he risks compromising his team’s chances of survival. It really is that simple. Pereira cannot allow his main men to be tired when they walk out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – and the penny seems to have dropped.

‘I have to rotate the team,’ he said. ‘It’s the third game in eight days and we have to travel. I need to think about the Tottenham game.’

Nobody said it was easy for Pereira. He is Forest’s fourth manager this season and Marinakis’ overriding ambition is to carry the club into Europe’s elite competition. That is the best way to generate that and would help them challenge the wealthiest clubs consistently. If Pereira picks a weakened team at Midtjylland it may annoy Marinakis.

Nottingham Forest’s winless streak at home continued with a 0-0 draw with Fulham on Sunday

Yet Forest cannot try to run before they can walk. Last season’s seventh-placed finish relied on a highly unusual set of circumstances: goalkeeper Matz Sels and centre-forward Chris Wood had the seasons of their lives, and others like Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga produced form they have rarely shown at other times in their careers.

There was always likely to be a regression this season and last summer’s chaotic transfer business means the drop-off has been greater than it should have been.

Forest remain above the bottom three on goal difference and despite the lack of goals, they have a talented squad.

But if they believe they can fight on two fronts with the same 13 or 14 players, they are asking for trouble. It is encouraging that Pereira seems to have grasped that.

Home discomforts

Forest turned the City Ground into a fortress when they returned to the Premier League but suddenly the walls are crumbling.

In their first season back in the top flight, Forest’s home form helped keep them up and the crowd here nearly roared them to the Champions League last term. Yet as they try to save themselves this season, their confidence on their own patch has deserted them.

Forest have not scored here in the league for six weeks. They have won only three times at home all season and Fulham were there for the taking but Forest could not do it. Aina hit the bar, Dan Ndoye had a goal ruled out for a fractional offside and Taiwo Awoniyi should have done better with a late chance.

‘In the VAR era, I’ve stopped celebrating goals but I celebrated that one as I was so convinced it was a legal goal,’ admitted Pereira. ‘We did everything we could to win the game.’

That may be so. Yet unless they can rediscover the magic here, it is difficult to see how Forest haul themselves clear. Last season’s leading scorer Wood is no closer to returning from the knee injury that has kept him out since October. Can Forest somehow get him on the pitch for their final few games?

Dan Ndoye thought he had scored for Forest but his goal was disallowed for a fractional offside

What next for Marco Silva?

Marco Silva has done a fine job at Fulham and yet the closer we draw to the end of the season, the more chances of him staying seem to recede.

The Portuguese is out of contract at the end of the campaign and he has always been admired by Marinakis since the pair worked together at Olympiacos in 2015-16. Whether Silva would respond favourably to interest from Forest is another matter. He is admired by clubs in England and beyond and will surely not be short of offers.

For now Silva’s priority is to take Fulham into Europe. ‘For as long as it is possible, we have to fight for it,’ he said. The club finishing seventh could secure qualification for the Conference League and Fulham are only three points shy of Brentford. If Silva could take Fulham over the line, his legacy at the club would be secure.