Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has reclaimed his place in Nottingham Forest’s UEFA Europa League squad ahead of their final league phase games in the competition, Footynaija.com reports.
Forest, then under the tutelage of Nuno Espirito Santo, were forced to axe Aina from their Europa League squad after the Nigeria international sustained a serious hamstring injury while representing his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Aina underwent surgery at the time, consigning him to a four month spell on the sidelines. During that time in the treatment room, the former Chelsea man missed crucial games for Nottingham Forest both domestically and in Europe.
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He also missed crucial games for his country, including the CAF World Cup play-offs where the Super Eagles lost to DR Congo in the final and the just-concluded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations where Nigeria earned a place on the podium after finishing third.
Aina has since returned to action though, making his long-awaited comeback in Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 defeat to Premier League chasing Aston Villa at the turn of the year.
His three consecutive starts in the Premier League since returning from injury is a testament to Forest boss Sean Dyche’s trust in the abilities of the Nigeria international, who impressed as the Tricky Trees held league leaders Arsenal to a draw last time out.
Nottingham Forest announced Aina’s return to their Europa League squad via their official communication channels and he’ll be in contention to make his first appearance in the competition when Dyche’s men rock up to Braga’s Estadio Municipal later today.
The Tricky Trees boast 11 points from six games and occupy 11th place on the Europa League standings. A win in Portugal will see them leap-frog Braga who currently sit in one of those automatic qualification spots with 13 points.
