Ola Aina was named in Nottingham Forest’s starting line-up for their Premier League clash against Aston Villa, marking his return to action for the first time since August 31.
The defender sustained a hamstring injury while on international duty with the Super Eagles during their World Cup qualifying match against South Africa at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on September 9. The setback required surgery and ruled him out for several months.
As a result of the injury, Aina missed Nigeria’s campaign at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, as well as the World Cup playoffs in November.
The 29-year-old had started Forest’s opening three matches of the season but went on to miss 16 consecutive games due to injury and subsequent fitness issues following his recovery. He made his first appearance for Forest’s academy side on December 13 in a 2-1 win over Millwall.
More Read
Aina returned to the starting XI against Aston Villa and will be hoping to rediscover the form he showed before his layoff. He was one of the Premier League’s standout right-backs last season, scoring two goals in 35 league appearances for the Tricky Trees.
With Forest looking to halt a three-game losing run, Aina will be eager to play a key role in their push for a positive result.
© 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.
