Nigeria defender Ola Aina’s injury return date revealed

Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche has confirmed that Super Eagles defender Ola Aina will not return to action for the club until next year, despite making good progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

The 29-year-old right-back has been out of action since September after picking up an injury setback while in action for the Super Eagles in the 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa.

As revealed by Sean Dyche, the defender will not make a comeback to action until January 2026, ruling him out of the impending S2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament to be staged in Morocco between December 2025 and January 2026.

“It’s better news… Not everyone is quite fit yet, but a few are back on the grass… Ola is getting closer to fitness, but obviously can’t be with us until January.” He said.

Since the setback, the enterprising full-back has missed a combined 18 matches for club and country.

The Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle will soon announce Nigeria’s AFCON squad, with the team set to face Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda in Group C.

Ola Aina has been limited to only three appearances across competitions for Nottingham Forest due to the setback.

Since making his debut for Nigeria in 2017, the full-back has racked up 48 appearances for the Super Eagles but he is yet to score or register an assist.