Injury: Ola Aina Returns To Competitive Action At Last

Nigeria international, Ola Aina returned to competitive action on Saturday after a three-month injury lay-off, featuring for Nottingham Forest in their 3–1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Aina had been sidelined since September 2025 after sustaining a hamstring injury while on international duty with Nigeria.

Although he returned to full training in November, Forest head coach, Sean Dyche opted for a cautious approach, delaying his comeback and ruling him out of the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 29-year-old was named in Forest’s squad for the trip to Villa and was handed a starting role, a decision that marked a calculated risk by Dyche given Aina’s prolonged absence from competitive football since the autumn.

Operating at right-back, Aina played 69 minutes before being substituted for Nicolò Savona.

Despite Forest spending long spells under pressure, he recorded nine defensive contributions, including two tackles, three interceptions and four clearances.

He was dribbled past once and won two of his five ground duels. In possession, Aina completed seven of his 11 passes, registered one key pass and posted an expected assists value of 0.01.

Aina was involved at both ends during the second half, being denied in attack before Villa went on to secure the result, which lifted Unai Emery’s side to second place in the table. For Forest, the defeat was a fourth consecutive league loss, leaving them four points above the relegation zone.

The appearance marked Aina’s fourth league outing of the season and a significant step in his return to full fitness, with Saturday’s fixture providing an early test of his match sharpness following his extended absence.

Credit: punchng.com