Ola Aina was forced off with an injury during Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semifinal on Thursday evening.

The Super Eagles right-back was named in the starting lineup at the City Ground as Forest secured a narrow advantage over their Premier League rivals, Footballrover reports.

Chris Wood milestone sinks Aston Villa as Unai Emery’s men struggle

Aina put in an impressive shift, providing defensive stability before his night was cut short.

The breakthrough came ten minutes after the hour mark. Chris Wood clinically converted from the penalty spot after Lucas Digne’s bizarre handball kept the ball in play and gifted Forest the opportunity.

The veteran striker marked his 200th career goal—a significant milestone following a lengthy injury layoff. That lone goal proved enough to seal the win for the Reds.

Despite Emi Martinez’s early brilliance in goal for Villa and Unai Emery’s pedigree in this competition, the visitors couldn’t find an equaliser.

Forest goalkeeper Stefan Ortega proved equally vital, producing several key saves to deny Watkins and Tielemans.

Ola Aina injury overshadows strong Forest display

However, the victory was marred by a late concern for Aina. With fifteen minutes remaining, the Nigerian defender went down in visible discomfort.

Despite receiving treatment on the pitch, he was unable to continue and was replaced by Zach Abbott.

Nottingham Forest has yet to provide an official update regarding the severity of the injury.

However, Pereira’s side now carries a slender advantage to Villa Park, where Villa will be hoping to overturn the deficit to keep Emery’s dream of a fifth title alive.

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Last Updated on May 1, 2026 8:52 am by footballrover