Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche has revealed that defender Ola Aina will not play again for the club this year, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Aina sustained a hamstring injury while on international duty with Nigeria in September.
The 30-year-old underwent surgery shortly after the injury and was expected to return to action this month, but Dyche has confirmed that Aina's recovery will stretch into the new year.
The setback also raises questions about Aina's availability for Nigeria's 2025 Africa Cup of Nations squad, which gets underway in Morocco on December 21.
“The ones left not with us yet are Taiwo, Woody, and Douglas – although they are getting closer. Ola is getting closer to fitness but obviously can’t be with us until January,” Dyche was quoted by the Nottingham Post.
Aina's absence will be a significant blow to Super Eagles' defensive options, and Eric Chelle will be hoping to find alternative solutions to fill the gap ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun