Sean Dyche Burnley
Nottingham Forest’s defender Ola Aina is on the verge of making a return to action following a hamstring injury that has sidelined him since September. Aina has been gaining match fitness by featuring for the Reds’ B Team and is now poised to be reintegrated into Sean Dyche’s squad. Previously omitted from Forest’s 25-man Premier League roster for the first half of the season, Aina is eligible for registration once again. As Forest prepares for their upcoming fixture against Aston Villa, head coach Sean Dyche expressed his anticipation of having the full-back available for selection.
Sean Dyche said: “Mostly good. A few are carrying knocks but we are hopeful on them recovering. I am learning about him, I know he is a good character. I managed teams that have played against him so I know about the pace and power he has got. We are looking forward to getting him back involved. He has put a lot of miles on the clock (on the training ground), not so many game hours, because of the situation. But his injury is fine, he feels fine, he is back into the group.”
The Reds are still contending with injuries to key players, including midfielder Ryan Yates and striker Chris Wood, both sidelined with hamstring and knee issues respectively. Winger Dan Ndoye is also out due to a minor calf injury, although Dyche remains optimistic about his return in the near future.
Dyche added: “Dan Ndoye has a minor calf injury. It will be touch and go for him this weekend but hopefully he will return after that.”
Forest enters the weekend’s clash against Villa on a challenging note, having lost their last three matches. This streak has narrowed their cushion above the relegation zone to just four points. Dyche has highlighted the team’s recent lack of clinical finishing as a concern, particularly following their 2-0 defeat to Everton. Despite the setbacks, Dyche remains focused on the progress made since his appointment and is determined to see his team rise to the challenge against a formidable Villa side.
“The biggest challenge in football is being clinical,” Dyche said. “Everyone wants their players to be clinical, everyone wants their players to score goals and everyone wants goalscorers. Villa are certainly a good side, we know that. It will be another tough game, but they all are. We played very well recently against some top sides and have got some good results. Other sides around us, we haven’t played as well against. The challenge of the Premier League is you have got to be on it all the time. Factually, we are in a better position than when I got here. With regards to the Premier League, it’s a building process. We have done some good work and the players have as well. It’s the ups and downs of it; we have stepped away from it a couple of times. All of a sudden you have lost three when it could have been a couple, if not three, draws. It’s frustrating in that respect because of the softness of the goals conceded and not finding the real killer moment to open up the opposition.”
As Forest prepares to face high-flying Villa, the return of Ola Aina could provide a much-needed boost to the squad, offering Dyche additional options in defense as they aim to halt their losing streak and secure vital points in the Premier League.
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