Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has provided an update on the fitness of Super Eagles fullback Ola Aina ahead of the club’s UEFA Europa League clash against Malmo on Thursday.

Aina, who sustained a hamstring injury during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers in September, has been sidelined for several months.

Since the injury, the 29-year-old former Chelsea defender has missed four international fixtures for the Super Eagles, including key playoff matches in Morocco in this month.

At club level, Aina has been unavailable for fourteen Nottingham Forest matches across all competitions.

Despite posting pictures on social media of himself engaging in personal training sessions, raising optimism over his potential inclusion in Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations squad, Dyche confirmed that the defender has not yet returned to full team training.

“Ola Aina is not on the grass with us yet, he's still going to take a bit of time,” the Nottingham Forest boss told reporters at the pre-match press conference. 

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is expected to announce the squad for the biennial AFCON tournament in the coming days.

Nigeria has been drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Aina, who remains a key figure in Nigeria’s defensive setup, will be hoping for a swift recovery to secure his place in the national team and participate in the tournament.

Adeyemi Adewale