Nottingham Forest take on Aston Villa today in a huge Premier League clash at the City Ground
06:00, 12 Apr 2026
Chris Wood in action for Nottingham Forest against Porto
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Chris Wood in action for Nottingham Forest against Porto(Image: Getty)
Chris Wood’s influence in the dressing room during the run-in can be just as crucial to Nottingham Forest as his goals, according to Dan Ndoye.
Wood made his comeback after six months on the sidelines with a knee injury in midweek. The front man was named in the Reds’ starting line-up for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final with Porto.
It was a positive 45-minute run-out for the New Zealand international as he helped the visitors claim a 1-1 draw in Portugal. Attention now switches back to the fight for Premier League safety, with winger Ndoye acknowledging the importance of having everyone available.
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Asked about Wood’s return ahead of today’s key clash with Aston Villa at the City Ground (2pm kick-off), Ndoye said: “It is really important to have all the players available, particularly someone like Chris Wood who scores a lot of goals. We need all the players, particularly when you are playing every three days. This could be the difference.
“He is a leader for us. And yes, it is important to have him back - it is really good for us.”
Forest rode their luck somewhat against Porto in midweek but have given themselves a chance of reaching a European semi-final. Ndoye wants to keep the positivity going against Villa as Vitor Pereira’s side look to boost their survival hopes.
“It is a big contrast between the league and Europe but we need to focus on Villa,” he said. “Before the international break, the result against Tottenham Hotspur (a 3-0 win) was good and we had another good performance against Porto. We have to keep playing like this until the end of the season.
“We had a solid performance against Porto but Villa are a great team. We will have a lot to do if we are to get a great result.”
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This afternoon’s encounter could end up being a scene-setter for an all-English Europa League semi-final. Forest and Villa will meet each other in the last four of the tournament, if they both progress from their respective quarter-finals.
The Reds will hope home advantage counts in their favour when they host Porto in the return leg of their tie next week. Villa, meanwhile, have a 3-1 lead over Bologna going into the second leg at Villa Park.
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Ndoye is not looking that far ahead, though. He said: “First of all, we have to beat Porto but we will see what is in the next round.”
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