Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper surprisingly benched Brennan Johnson for their 3-2 defeat at Liverpool.
Johnson was dropped to the bench at Anfield.
Cooper said before kickoff: "It's a normal football decision.
"Brennan is having an excellent first season in the Premier League but we aren't having a good run. We're looking for solutions all the time.
"We've got a three game week. Coming to Anfield you have to have a certain plan and then you try to pick the right team to deliver it. We're very happy with Brennan but at the same time we have to pick plans we feel can deliver on a particular day.
"Liverpool have always been really good. You look at some of the games they've played here in particular. Everything has to be perfect for us to get something. We know that but that has to be the ambition, to focus on ourselves and do what we can do well."