Nottingham Forest boss hints Super Eagles' AFCON star will miss Manchester United clash 

Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has suggested that he will not have at his disposal 2023 Africa Cup of Nations star Ola Aina on Wednesday night when his side take on Manchester United in the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup.

Aina returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty with an injury, which kept him out of the squad for back-to-back meetings with West Ham United and Aston Villa in the Premier League. 

Without doubt one of the standout players for the Super Eagles during the tournament in Ivory Coast, the Chelsea academy product was singled out for criticism after losing an individual battle with Player of the Match, Simon Adingra in the AFCON showpiece.

Ahead of Forest's trip to Aston Villa, Nuno Espirito Santo revealed how his compatriot Jose Peseiro forced Aina to play through the pain barrier in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed that he did not have any changes to the players that were unavailable from the weekend, meaning the likes of Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly remain sidelined

The Portuguese football tactician did not put a timeframe on Aina's return to action but expressed optimism for the defender's swift recovery.

Nottingham Forest's Player of the Month for September, Aina has played in fourteen matches since transferring to the City Ground last summer, registering one goal and an assist.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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