Ola Aina Ruled Out Until January; Awoniyi Also Sidelined — Nottingham Forest Coach

Ola Aina Ruled Out Until January; Awoniyi Also Sidelined — Nottingham Forest Coach 

By Our Reporter 

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has confirmed that Nigerian defender Ola Aina will not return to action until January, extending the full-back’s lengthy spell on the sidelines, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Aina, who has been out for three months, has missed Forest’s last sixteen matches across all competitions. Dyche provided the update ahead of the club’s Premier League fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, ruling the 27-year-old out once again.

“Ola Aina is getting close to fitness, but obviously can’t be with us until January,” Dyche said, signalling that the Nigerian international is still some weeks away from full recovery.

The former Chelsea and Fulham defender’s prolonged absence could pose a major challenge for Nigeria ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle will need to assess whether Aina, who has not featured since early autumn, can regain adequate match sharpness in time for the tournament.

Dyche also confirmed that striker Taiwo Awoniyi will miss a third consecutive league match due to a muscular injury. The forward remains unavailable alongside Chris Wood and Ola Aina, though the Forest boss described the overall injury situation as slowly improving.

“It’s better news,” Dyche said. “Not everyone’s quite fit yet, but a few are back on the grass training, which is a good start. The ones not with us yet are Taiwo, Wood, and Douglas, although they are getting closer.”

Forest continue to manage a congested injury list as they look to stabilize their season, while Nigeria faces its own selection dilemma ahead of AFCON preparations.