October 06, (THEWILL) – Nottingham Forest full-back, Ola Aina, will miss Nigeria’s upcoming friendlies during the international break due to injury. The 27-year-old has been ruled out of the Super Eagles’ matches against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique after picking up a muscle problem.
Aina’s return date is currently unknown, with Forest boss Steve Cooper recently revealing the defender’s absence from training ahead of their English Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday. The September Player of the Month award winner is set to miss Nigeria’s games in Portugal on 13 and 16 October.
Cooper disclosed that Aina will be unavailable at least until the end of the international break. “We won’t see Ola until after the international break,” the 43-year-old stated. The Super Eagles squad are due to begin training in Faro on 10 October.
In Aina’s absence, Forest will take on Crystal Palace this weekend without the influential full-back. It remains a blow for both club and country, with Aina impressing for Forest since arriving over the summer.
Nigeria will have to cope without the experienced defender for the friendlies as they continue their World Cup preparations. Aina will now focus on returning to action for Forest after the international fixtures.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
