Super Eagles star left out of Nottingham Forest Europa League squad due to UEFA’s new rule

The defender was forced off with a hamstring injury during Nigeria's 1-1 draw with South Africa earlier this month. 

Due to his injury, he had to undergo surgery and he is expected to be sidelined until at least December.

Despite his initial inclusion in Forest's Europa League squad, the club was forced to remove him due to a recent amendment to UEFA's regulations.

The UEFA Executive Committee has updated its squad regulations for all European club competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.

In a statement, UEFA explained the change, "The reasoning for the adaptation is to ensure that squad lists are not unfairly reduced and players are safeguarded from additional workload pressure."

This rule allows clubs to temporarily replace a player who has suffered a "long-term injury or illness" expected to last for a minimum of 60 days. If the original player recovers before the 60 days, he remains ineligible for the competition.

Clubs must submit medical evidence to UEFA to verify the injury, and the governing body reserves the right to investigate each case to ensure the change is not for tactical reasons.

With Aina's return slated for December and the Africa Cup of Nations also scheduled for that month, his next appearance in European football may not be until 2026.