Ola Aina played a crucial role in the Super Eagles’ 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Nuno Espírito Santo, Nottingham Forest manager, has provided updates on the fitness of two Super Eagles players, Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi, ahead of the team’s Premier League match against Liverpool, according to Soccernet.ng.
Aina, a Super Eagles defender, has been absent for the past three matches owing to an injury acquired while returning from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The former Wolverhampton manager said that while Ibrahim Sangaré and Willy Boly are making good progress in their recovery, Aina is having more serious challenges.
Nuno voiced concern about the availability of key players for Saturday’s match, stating that Aina and Nuno Tavares are experiencing more significant issues, while Boly is nearing the end of his recovery.
“I am not sure. Let’s see tomorrow; some players are nearing the end of their rehabilitation. Ibrahim [Sangaré] is close.
“Chris Wood is also near. Ola [Aina] and Nuno [Tavares] are having greater difficulty. Boly is in the latter stages of his recuperation.” said Nuno.
However, there is some good news for Awoniyi, who completed the entire encounter against Manchester United.
The Forest manager went on to laud the Nigerian international’s progress, adding that the striker is improving in terms of conditioning.
He added: “He played an important role in the previous game, not just for 45 minutes, but he finished the entire game tonight.
“I believe he is improving in terms of fitness. He had been out for a long time, so his recuperation for the next match will be critical.”
Updates on Aina and Awoniyi’s fitness will be critical as the club attempts to secure key points in their fight against relegation, hoping for all three points when they face Liverpool this weekend.
