Nottingham Forest Names Nigerian Star Players Who Would Miss The World Cup Qualifiers Match

Ola Aina’s Injury: A Major Setback for Nottingham Forest and Nigeria

Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina is set to miss a crucial period for both his club and country after sustaining a serious hamstring injury. The 27-year-old was forced off just 10 minutes into Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa, with subsequent scans confirming the injury is more severe than initially thought. The best-case scenario for his return is early December, meaning he will be absent for a significant part of Forest’s season and will miss Nigeria’s upcoming World Cup qualifier against Lesotho on October 6.

Aina’s injury is a huge blow for new manager Ange Postecoglou, as the defender had been a regular starter, playing every minute of the Premier League season so far. His absence has forced Forest to exclude him from their submitted Premier League squad list, with striker Taiwo Awoniyi expected to take his place. This leaves Postecoglou with a defensive dilemma ahead of their trip to Arsenal, particularly as new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko is ineligible. The manager may now have to rely on Neco Williams or summer signing Nicolo Savona to fill the void.

Postecoglou acknowledged the tough road ahead, noting that Forest’s first four matches are all away games, including the upcoming clash against a strengthened Arsenal side and a Europa League opener against Real Betis. He praised Arsenal’s progress under Mikel Arteta, stating,

“They’re a stronger team than they were last year so they will be a great challenge for us.”

This series of away games, coupled with Aina’s long-term injury, presents a significant early test for the new Forest boss.

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