Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has been ruled out until early December with a hamstring injury, in what is a major setback for both Ange Postecoglou and Eric Chelle, Bold Sports reports.
Aina was forced off after just 10 minutes in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. Initial assessments have now revealed that the 28-year-old suffered a hamstring problem, and according to Telegraph reporter John Percy, scans have confirmed he will not return to action until at least December at the earliest.
The length of the layoff has forced Forest into a squad reshuffle. Aina has been left out of the Premier League squad submitted on Thursday, with Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi who was omitted from the Europa League list, now expected to be registered for domestic action in his place.
The setback is a significant blow for new Forest head coach Ange Postecoglou, who had earlier confirmed that Aina was undergoing scans after returning from international duty.
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“Basically, we’ve got a clean bill of health except for Aina who has just come back and obviously had an issue with the national team. We’ve sent him for some scans and we’ll get some information this afternoon,” Postecoglou said in his first press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Arsenal.
Aina’s absence will be felt keenly as the versatile fullback featured in 37 matches for Forest last season and had played every minute of the Premier League campaign so far.
His injury also represents a huge setback for Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle, with Aina now ruled out of the Super Eagles’ must-win World Cup qualifiers in October. His participation at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco is also in doubt.
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