Nottingham Forest have been dealt a major setback after Nigeria’s Super Eagles defender Ola Aina was ruled out for three months with a hamstring injury.
The versatile right-back got injured eight minutes into Nigeria’s 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw against South Africa on Tuesday, and scans have since confirmed the severity of the problem.
The 28-year-old will now be deregistered from Forest’s Premier League squad, though he can be reinstated after the winter transfer window.
His absence forces new manager Ange Postecoglou into an early squad adjustment, with striker and another Nigerian Taiwo Awoniyi now expected to fill the available slot.
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Postecoglou faces first big test against Arsenal
Postecoglou, who replaced Nuno Espirito Santo earlier this week, acknowledged the difficulty of losing a key defender ahead of his debut. Forest travel to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to face Mikel Arteta’s in-form Arsenal, a side the Australian tactician believes have grown stronger following summer reinforcements.
“It’s a great game,” Postecoglou said. “Mikel has got them off to a good start. They’ve strengthened over the summer and are a stronger team than they were last year, so it’ll be a great challenge for us.”
The injury to Aina leaves Forest short of options in defense at a crucial stage of the campaign. However, the return of Awoniyi to the squad provides some attacking reinforcement.
Although Postecoglou was dismissed by Tottenham just 16 days after winning the Europa League last season, his appointment at Forest brings renewed optimism. Still, the long-term absence of Aina is a worrying development that could test his tactical flexibility in the coming months.
Tags: Ola Aina, Nottingham Forest, Ange Postecoglou, #NFFC, #EPL, #PremierLeague26, #ARSNFO, Super Eagles, #SoarSuperEagles, Taiwo Awoniyi.
