“It’s a bad injury” – Manager Ivan Juric confirms that injured Super Eagles star not close to return

The Nigerian international is into the last six months of his contract with the Turin-based club.

Torino manager Ivan Juric has ruled out injured Nigerian defender Ola Aina from the club’s first match of the new year.

Il Toro will host Hellas Verona on Wednesday, January 4, at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in a matchday 16 clash of the 2022/23 season.

It would have been Aina’s eleventh appearance of the season but the former Chelsea star has been out on the treatment table since October.

Aina has not played for Torino since delivering a man-of-the-match performance and scoring a goal in the 2-1 defeat of Udinese on October 23.

The 27-year-old full-back suffered a hamstring strain that was expected to keep him sidelined until the end of December.

But several reports from Italy in the last few days of last year suggested that Aina would be missing the first few games of 2023 for Torino.

And the club boss Ivan Juric has confirmed that Aina is not close to a return to action as his injury is a terrible one.

“Ola Aina still needs time, it’s a bad injury,” the Italian tactician said at his pre-Verona match conference.

Ninth-placed Torino are favourites to overcome and claim all three points at home to Verona, who are stuck at the foot of the Italian Serie A table.