Soccer
Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira. Copyright: ImagoxNewsxImages
Nottingham Forest head coach Vitor Pereira has provided an encouraging update on the fitness of Super Eagles defender Ola Aina ahead of Monday’s Premier League clash against Chelsea, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Nigerian defender was forced off with an injury concern during Thursday night’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa in the UEFA Europa League semifinal first leg encounter.
Aina started the match and was very effective on the right side of Forest’s defence, although his side were dealt a big blow when he had to come off in the 75th minute. The right-back had been on the end of a rash challenge from Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne and could not continue further, before he was eventually replaced by Zack Abbott.
The 29-year-old has made 28 appearances across all competitions for Nottingham Forest this season and has been a key figure in the squad since returning from a hamstring injury that sidelined him earlier in the campaign.
Soccer Vitor Pereira provides update on Ola Aina ahead of Chelsea clash
Nottingham Forest face Chelsea in a crucial Premier League fixture on Monday night as they continue their push to secure survival ahead of next season.
The Tricky Trees sit five points above the relegation zone, but still need to pick up points from their remaining four matches to guarantee safety. At the same time, they must also keep one eye on Thursday’s Europa League semifinal second leg clash.
Aina’s injury initially raised serious concern for Vitor Pereira, especially given the number of players already sidelined and the defender’s importance to the team during this decisive stage of the season.
However, speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Chelsea fixture, Vitor Pereira revealed that Aina could recover in time to feature in that encounter and even shared a playful interaction with the Nigerian defender.
“I said to him, I’m sorry but it’s impossible for you to be injured! He said he will be in the right condition, and I hope he will,” Pereira said, via NFFC’s official website.
Nottingham Forest will be relieved that Aina’s injury does not appear to be serious, with the defender potentially set to return within the coming days.
If he is not passed fit in time for the clash against Chelsea, the Super Eagles defender could then make his return for next Thursday’s Europa League second leg encounter at Villa Park.
Ayomide Oguntimehin
Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Chief Editor at Soccernet.ng. He has interviewed Super Eagles stars like William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Ademola Lookman, and is known for breaking major transfer stories.
Ayomide has worked with Sports Brief, Naija News and served as Social Lead Editor at Legit.ng. He has also featured on Goal, TVC News, Sports Mole, and Milan News24. He holds a Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a PhD. Follow Ayomide on X (formerly Twitter): @ayo_oguntimehin
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