Many Nottingham Forest players will be returning to the East Midlands shortly after representing their country on international duty during the last fortnight.
The Premier League resumes this weekend as Forest host Liverpool at Anfield, with the Reds hoping to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
Forest has had 14 players on international duty during the international break, and the majority of them have played some minutes.
The Reds will now hope that Nuno Espirito Santo is not injured when the roll call returns to the Nigel Doughty academy.
The national media reacts to Ola Aina’s performance.
The defender has been in excellent form for Forest since joining on a free transfer from Torino in the summer of 2023.
He has played on both sides of the pitch for Forest, but when he has been able to avoid injury, he has established himself as a left-back.
Aina is now playing consistently for Nigeria, and he appeared in yesterday’s depressing 0-0 match against Rwanda.
The game was an African Cup of Nations qualifier, and the outcome is somewhat disappointing given Nigeria’s talent on display.
It appears that Aina performed well during the game, and the national media is highly impressed with his performance.
All Nigeria Soccer graded him a 7/10, saying, “He was rock solid, most notably in the opening minutes of the game when Rwanda tried creating opportunities from his position, and his long throws were as threatening as ever.”
BSN Sports also gave Aina a 7/10, stating that he “played a key role in defence, often stepping in as the last man during set pieces.” His defensive labor was supplemented by his attacking efforts, which included a long throw-in that led to Nigeria’s disallowed goal in the second half.
Finally, Brila declared he was Nigeria’s star man and rated him 8/10: “Aina was Nigeria’s finest player that night. He was a consistent threat going forward, creating four opportunities while also playing solid defense.
“His long throw-ins caused issues for Rwanda, and his overall intensity on the right was unparalleled.
“The Nottingham Forest man also made 3 clearances and 4 recoveries and created the most chances in the match.”
Aina will remain vital to Forest.
Amid a slew of new full-back acquisitions, it’s difficult to see Aina losing his spot in the team anytime soon.
Espirito Santo is a head coach who rewards outstanding performance, and it appears that Aina has maintained his form on international service.
Aina earns £40,000 a week from Forest, and perhaps negotiations for a new contract should begin to reflect his true value to the team.
The player is generally a left-back, but as he has demonstrated with Nigeria, he is now reluctant to play on the right side as well.
Aina was given a one-year extension to his contract last summer, but it’s time for Forest to contemplate a longer contract for a player who is only 27.
