By Wale Mustapha
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed that Nigerian defender Ola Aina will be sidelined for an extended period due to a calf injury.
Aina, who has been a key figure for Forest this season, was stretchered off during Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at the City Ground after sustaining the injury.
The Super Eagles right-back was replaced by Alex Moreno before halftime and later left the stadium on crutches.
Santos provided an update on Thursday ahead of Forest’s upcoming Premier League clash against Aston Villa, revealing that Aina has already undergone a scan.
While the exact timeline for his recovery is still unclear, the manager acknowledged that the injury would be a significant setback for the club.
“He has already had the scan, and unfortunately, he will be out for a while. He won’t be available,” said Santos.
“It’s a big blow, of course. We will miss his quality, his talent, and the understanding he has with his teammates. It’s definitely a problem for us.”
Aina’s absence is expected to create a void in the right-back position, with Forest now facing a challenge in replacing his experience and defensive solidity.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
