The unusual reason why Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United is not on TV this Friday

The scheduled Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United will not be shown live on TV this Friday - due to an unusual reason.

Whenever they are held, Friday evening games are typically televised by Sky Sports as the opening fixture of each weekend.

Forest are taking on Sheffield United on Friday at the City Ground, with both sides looking to pick up their first points of the season after defeats last weekend.

Forest were edged out 2-1 at Arsenal, while the Blades suffered a home defeat to Crystal Palace.

Steve Cooper's side built their Premier League survival last season on their solid home form, winning eight of their overall nine games at the City Ground.

They will start their home campaign slightly earlier than planned this time around, however.

Why Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United is not on TV?

Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United was initially due to be played on Saturday, August 19 at 3pm.

However, it has had to be rescheduled due to fears of heavy traffic congestion - although it is not directly related to the fixture.

The City Ground is situated close by the local cricket ground, Trent Bridge, which is home to Nottinghamshire and the Trent Rockets, who play in The Hundred.

A Hundred double-header will take place at the stadium on Saturday, with men's and women's matches between the Rockets and Birmingham Phoenix.

As a result, the local authorities have moved Forest vs Sheffield United to the Friday night, to avoid high levels of congestion.

But because the game has been rescheduled, it cannot be shown on TV - despite being in the usually televised Friday night slot.

That is because rules state that rescheduled matches cannot be shown on TV if it was not originally selected for broadcast. As a result, Premier League viewers will miss out on their Friday night football this weekend. Instead, two Saturday evening games will be shown.

It does, however, allow Nottingham-based fans of both sports to avoid a dreaded clash, meaning they can attend Forest vs Sheffield United on the Friday before watching the likes of Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone and Nat Sciver-Brunt in action at Trent Bridge on the Saturday.