'Until January' — Forest boss Sean Dyche offers Ola Aina injury update

Sean Dyche has provided a key update on his squad's fitness, confirming that Nigerian international Ola Aina will remain unavailable for selection for the upcoming Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux Stadium.

Aina is still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during the opening minutes of Nigeria's 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa back in September.

The injury has seen him miss the last sixteen matches across all competitions, and Dyche confirmed the timeline for Aina's return saying,

"Ola Aina is getting close to fitness, but obviously can’t be with us until January."

Aina's extended three-month absence creates a significant challenge for Nigeria coach Eric Chelle, who must now make a major decision regarding the defender's potential involvement in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, given his lack of match fitness.

In addition to Aina, Dyche also confirmed that fellow Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi will miss a third consecutive league match due to a muscular injury.

Providing a broader squad update, Dyche noted: "It’s better news. Not everyone’s quite fit yet, but a few are back on the grass training, which is a good start."The ones left not with us yet are Taiwo, Wood, and Douglas, although getting closer."