Super Eagles fullback Ola Aina took another significant step towards full fitness after returning to action on Friday, playing 63 minutes for Nottingham Forest’s academy side in a 2-1 victory over Millwall, Bold Sports reports.
The 29-year-old had been sidelined for 94 days after sustaining a hamstring injury while on international duty with the Super Eagles during the World Cup qualifier against South Africa. Although Aina returned to the grass in November, Friday’s outing marked a key milestone in his recovery as he continues to build match fitness.
Aina lined up in his natural fullback position and featured prominently before being replaced by Cormac Daly with Forest holding a 2-0 advantage. Adam Berry had opened the scoring in the 28th minute and doubled the lead six minutes later, reacting quickest to poke home from close range after Aina’s effort was initially saved.
Millwall reduced the deficit in the 75th minute, but Nottingham Forest held firm to secure the win and maintain their 100 per cent record in the U21 Premier League Cup.
More Read
Aina’s gradual return to action comes after he was omitted from Eric Chelle’s final 28-man Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. The defender is expected to continue his recovery, with hopes he will be fully fit and available for senior team action by January.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are set to return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host Tottenham Hotspur. Sean Dyche’s side will be looking to bounce back after suffering a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Everton in their previous league outing.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
