Nottingham Forest handed big blow with Ola Aina set for huge sideline spell

Nottingham Forest and Super Eagles defender, Ola Aina, is set for a huge spell on the sidelines after picking up a calf injury in his side's 1-0 win over Manchester United two days ago, Soccernet.ng reports.

In the 35th minute, the ex-Torino man pulled up injured on the pitch, without any collision, and Forest’s medical staff were ushered onto the pitch. After initial checks, he appeared fine, but after three minutes, the former Chelsea defender was helped into the tunnel, and was replaced by Alex Moreno.

After the game, Forest head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed Aina would undergo further scans to know the extent of the injury. Upon further checks, it was confirmed he picked up a calf injury and his return time is currently unknown.

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Ahead of Forest's Premier League clash against Aston Villa at the Villa Park on Saturday, the former Tottenham Hotspur coach bemoaned Aina's loss.

“It is always difficult when it is a calf injury, we have to give him time. We do not have an exact time schedule, it is all about his ability to recover.

“Some players take more time, others less. We will assess him. He will definitely be out for Villa and for Everton he will be a doubt. Beyond that we will assess him. I am positive that we will see him again (before the end of the season),” Nuno said in quotes revealed by BBC Sports.

“He has had the scan and he is going to be out for a while. It is a big blow. We will miss his quality, his talent and the routines we already have with his teammates. We are going to miss him,” the 51-year-old gaffer concluded.

Forest take on an in-form Villa side who've won all of their last six competitive games across all tournaments.

It is widely expected that Unai Emery will bench a lot of first team players as his side face Paris Saint-Germain in next week's UEFA Champions League quarter final, softening Ola Aina's loss for Forest.