Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina is out for several months after undergoing successful surgery for a hamstring injury. Aina thanked the club, teammates and fans for their support on Instagram, saying, “I’ll be working hard every day to get back out there as soon as possible”. With Aina’s injury, Ange Postecoglou will likely add Oleksandr Zinchenko to the Europa League squad, replacing Aina.
Zinchenko’s Value to the Team
- Highly experienced in European competitions, bringing valuable expertise
- Versatile player who can fill multiple roles, including:
- Central midfielder: Zinchenko has played as a number eight in most of his 78 caps for Ukraine
- Left midfielder: Providing flexibility in team formation and strategy
- Full-back: The position Aina currently occupies
Previous Omission and Future Prospects
Nuno Espirito Santo initially left Zinchenko out of the Europa League squad, a decision many found baffling given Zinchenko’s skills. However, with Postecoglou at the helm, Zinchenko is expected to become a regular player and contribute significantly to the team’s success in the Europa League ¹.
