Nottingham Forest returned to English soil for a friendly against Championship side Birmingham City, but Ola Aina was noticeably absent from the squad.
The most exciting news in the squad came in the form of Dan Ndoye’s debut appearance, with the new right winger in from the off at St Andrews.
Ndoye was excited to play with Morgan Gibbs-White, and he had that chance against Birmingham, with Callum Hudson-Odoi completing an attacking trio behind Igor Jesus, who led the line.
However, further back, the starting XI was slightly more concerning, with four central defenders named and Ola Aina not even named on the bench. This, of course, caused plenty of concern in the fanbase, given Aina’s injury history, but an update has clarified the situation.
Nottingham Forest player Ola Aina
Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images
Ola Aina injury situation clarified after Birmingham absence
It’s been a positive summer for the right-back as Aina signed a new three-year deal at Forest, ending speculation about his future.
His experience has seen Aina take a leadership role in the squad, so a potential injury would be unwelcome news for Nuno Espírito Santo.
The teams at St Andrew’s…
Ola Aina missing with a minor knock for #NFFC
A first start for Dan Ndoye, the latest new addition, from Bologna. Interested to see him in action. pic.twitter.com/IJ5GcTUohp
— Paul Taylor (@nottmtails) August 2, 2025
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According to Paul Taylor, though, Aina missed the Birmingham game due to a minor knock, easing any concerns for the City Ground faithful.
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It was new man Jair Cunha who started on the right in what was a makeshift first-half defence with Neco Williams on the bench, too, emphasising an issue in the Forest squad that must be addressed in the transfer window.
Ola Aina’s absence emphasises gap in Forest’s squad
So far in pre-season, it’s been clear that Espírito Santo is considering a tactical change at Forest, with a five at the back system being trialled among other formations.
However, there’s no doubt that a back four will be the most used defensive set-up in the new campaign, making Forest’s depth at full-back a real concern.
Nuno wants five more signings this summer and two must be cover for Aina and Williams, who cannot be expected to be available for the taxing two-game weeks associated with European football.
Aina’s pre-season knock will undoubtedly have refocused Edu and the recruitment team on this pressing issue, with the Premier League season a fortnight away.