Dyche confirms Ola Aina’s return to Nottingham Forest squad ahead of Aston Villa clash

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has confirmed that Nigeria international Ola Aina is back in contention for selection ahead of the club’s Premier League meeting with Aston Villa this weekend, Sport360NG reports.

Aina has been out of action for several months after sustaining an injury that not only disrupted his club season but also forced him to miss the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco with the Super Eagles.

Providing an update ahead of the weekend fixture, Dyche revealed on Friday that the defender has made encouraging progress and has returned to full training with the first-team squad, strengthening Forest’s defensive options.

“Ola is back in the group, which is good,” Dyche said. “He has covered a lot of ground in training. He hasn’t had many minutes in matches because of the situation, but his injury is fine, he feels good, and he’s fully involved again.”

Aina’s possible return is a timely boost for Nottingham Forest as they prepare for a demanding test against Aston Villa, while the development will also be welcomed by Nigerian supporters monitoring the defender’s recovery ahead of future international commitments.