Nigeria Defender Ola Aina made his return to competitive play on Saturday following a three-month absence due to injury, appearing for Nottingham Forest in their 3-1 Premier League loss against Aston Villa at Villa Park, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Aina was out of action from September 2025 following a hamstring injury he suffered during his time representing Nigeria internationally.
Despite resuming full training in November, Forest's manager Sean Dyche took a conservative stance, postponing his return and keeping him from participating in the current 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
A 29-year-old player was included in Forest's team for the match against Villa and was given a starting position, a move that represented a strategic gamble by Dyche considering Aina's long break from official matches since last autumn.
Aina operated as a right-back, featuring for 69 minutes before being replaced by Nicolò Savona.
Although Forest faced extended periods of pressure, he made nine defensive actions, comprising two tackles, three interceptions, and four clearances.
He was bypassed once while dribbling and secured victory in two out of five aerial challenges. When he had the ball, Aina successfully passed seven times out of 11 attempts, recorded one crucial assist, and achieved an expected assists rating of 0.01.
During the second half, Aina played an active role from start to finish, facing challenges in attack as Villa eventually managed to clinch the victory, moving Unai Emery's team up to second position in the standings. For Nottingham Forest, this loss marked their fourth straight league defeat, with only four points separating them from the danger zone.
Aina's presence signified his fourth league game this season and a key milestone in his recovery towards complete health, as the match on Saturday served as an initial assessment of his readiness after a long period away from competition.
Supplied by SyndiGate Media Inc. Syndigate.info ).
0 Komentar