Ange Postecoglou is waking up on his first full day as Nottingham Forest manager, but he has already been handed a selection headache for Saturday’s clash with Arsenal.
Chris Sutton is positive about Postecoglou after the 60-year-old took over from Nuno Espírito Santo on Tuesday, but the feeling isn’t quite yet being shared by the Reds fanbase.
Reacting to the news, Forest fans were unsure about the Postecoglou appointment, given the drastic change of style that saw his predecessor bring success to the City Ground.
Postecoglou will have to win over the supporters, then, but the task may have become even harder after some disappointing injury news from the international break.
Ola Aina in action for Nottingham Forest against West Ham
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Ola Aina injured during South Africa vs Nigeria
To get his style working as quickly as possible, Postecoglou will need his strongest XI available, but one key member of the Forest squad may not be able to feature against Arsenal.
Playing for Nigeria against South Africa, right-back Ola Aina was forced off the pitch after just ten minutes due to an injury, with the severity unclear.
He was seen clutching the back of his leg which may offer some clues to the concerned area, but there has been no confirmation about his status following the 1-1 draw.
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Given that he and the rest of the international stars are not likely to return to training with Postecoglou until Thursday, the new head coach may choose to consider his options at right-back in particular, with the Reds’ transfer business immediately coming in handy.
Nicolo Savona could make his debut against Arsenal
In a quest to shore up the Forest squad to compete across multiple competitions this season, Evangelos Marinakis sanctioned transfers totalling over £200m.
Crucially, one of those deals was Nicolo Savona’s arrival from Juventus, who could be in line for his Reds debut against Arsenal on Saturday should Aina be out.
Savona actually arrived with a slight injury himself, but the Italian has been pictured training with his new teammates over the international break to give a positive hint about his fitness.
It’ll certainly be a baptism of fire if he does make his debut against Arsenal, but he won’t be alone as Postecoglou embarks on a brutally difficult opening game in charge.