Sean Dyche, boss of Nottingham Forest, has provided a fresh fitness update on his Nigerian contingent Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi — as the club prepares for their return to Premier League action.
Dyche revealed that Aina, sidelined by a hamstring injury since September during international duty, remains out of first-team training: “He is on the grass but not with us he is with the medical staff and sports-science staff.”
The manager indicated that Aina is unlikely to play again until after the winter break, effectively ruling him out until January 2026.
On Awoniyi’s situation, Dyche described his issue as a “grumbling knee,” stopping short of calling it serious though enough to keep the forward out of selection as he recovers and undergoes a scan. The good news, Awoniyi is already back on the grass and doing light training, which suggests he may return sooner than Aina.
For Forest, the return of Awoniyi would be a welcome boost to attacking options for Aina, however a provisional call-up by Super Eagles for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations notwithstanding the extended lay-off casts serious doubt over his readiness for the tournament.
Editorial
In the often unforgiving landscape of modern football, Aina’s prolonged absence offers a stark reminder, injuries do more than stall matches they can stall momentum, unity and national hopes.
Dyche’s measured caution refusing to rush Aina back is the kind of prudence clubs rarely afford. But for Nottingham Forest, still navigating a precarious Premier League season, rushing a vulnerable hamstring would be irresponsible and potentially disastrous. The luxury of short-term gain at the expense of long-term stability is a risk few top-flight managers should willingly take.
For Nigeria’s national team, the timing could hardly be worse. As the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations looms, missing a full-back of Aina’s experience and versatility is a blow. More than that, it underlines a structural fragility the reliance on a handful of players prepared to carry heavy burdens of expectation. In today’s globalized squad building, depth must not be an afterthought.
Beyond the physiques and fitness charts, this is a test of character as much about restraint as resilience. If Aina returns fully ready, this enforced hiatus could prove beneficial. If not what seemed a temporary setback might mark the beginning of deeper cracks in both Forest’s season and Nigeria’s AFCON ambitions.
Did You Know?
- Aina’s hamstring injury was suffered in a 2026 World Cup qualifier for Nigeria against South Africa in September 2025 only ten minutes after kickoff.
- Before the injury, Aina had made 3 Premier League appearances for Nottingham Forest in the 2025/26 season.
- His absence stretches over more than fourteen matches across all competitions for Forest by November 2025.
- In recent press conferences, Dyche has repeatedly emphasized that Aina is currently with the club’s medical and sports-science staff not yet training with the full squad.
- Aina’s prolonged absence may put his participation in the 2025 AFCON in jeopardy, given the limited time for match practice and recovery before the tournament.
