Ola Aina fitness doubt clouds Forest finale as Pereira issues cautious update

Ola Aina’s availability for Nottingham Forest’s final Premier League fixture against Bournemouth remains uncertain after head coach Vitor Pereira confirmed the Nigeria international has only just returned to grass training following a spell on the sidelines.

The 29-year-old full-back has not featured since April 30, when he was forced off during Forest’s narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in a Europa League semi-final tie.

Since then, his absence has been felt in a defensive unit that struggled heavily in a 4-0 defeat at Villa Park without him.

Forest’s season has swung between stability and turbulence under Pereira, with the club forced into a relegation battle that saw multiple managerial changes before the Portuguese coach steadied results late in the campaign. The upcoming match at the City Ground carries limited competitive weight for Forest, though Bournemouth still chase late European qualification hopes under Andoni Iraola.

Pereira urges caution over selection risks

Speaking ahead of the Bournemouth clash, Pereira provided a cautious update on his squad, highlighting limited progress for several injured players.

“Murillo stays without training with the team. Ola (Aina) started today on the pitch,”

“I think Dan (Ndoye) has worked two times with the team, but we will see. I think that is all.”

“We are in a moment of the season where we can’t take risks because this is a game we want to win.

It’s not a final or a game to decide big things. Of course we want to win the game, we want three points and finish in the positions in the table.

We will do everything to get a good result, but it is not possible to take risks at this moment,”

Final focus

Bournemouth won the previous meeting 2-0 earlier in the season, leaving Forest with little margin for complacency despite the low stakes. Pereira’s side will look to close the campaign with a positive result, while Aina’s potential return remains one of the key late-season talking points.