Nigeria and Nottingham Forest have both been dealt a major setback, as dependable full-back Ola Aina has been ruled out with a hamstring injury that will sideline him until at least December.

The 27-year-old defender suffered the injury just ten minutes into Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against South Africa, limping off in visible pain. Scans later confirmed the damage was worse than initially feared, meaning he will miss Nigeria’s must-win 2026 World Cup qualifier against Lesotho on October 6, 2025.

For Nigeria, Aina’s absence leaves a huge gap in defence, as the Super Eagles fight to keep their qualification hopes alive. For Nottingham Forest, it forces new boss Ange Postecoglou into an early reshuffle. The former Chelsea and Torino man had played every Premier League minute this season and was a defensive pillar under Nuno Espírito Santo last term.

Forest were left with little choice but to remove Aina from their official Premier League squad list, replacing him with striker Taiwo Awoniyi. The change highlights how disruptive the injury is to Postecoglou’s plans, especially ahead of a daunting away trip to Arsenal.

Complications pile up: with Oleksandr Zinchenko ineligible to play against his parent club, Postecoglou may be forced to move Neco Williams across the backline or hand a debut to £13m signing Nicolo Savona.

Speaking ahead of the Arsenal clash, Postecoglou acknowledged the scale of the challenge:

> “Every Premier League fixture is demanding. Mikel [Arteta] has strengthened Arsenal, and they’re a stronger side than last year. It will be a great challenge for us.”

The Aussie manager’s early days at Forest don’t get any easier. His first four matches are all away from home: Arsenal, Swansea (Carabao Cup), Burnley (League), and then a Europa League opener at Real Betis.

For Aina, the wait begins—his road to recovery will be closely watched by both club and country, with the stakes higher than ever.