Nottingham Forest’s preparations for Sunday’s daunting Premier League clash against reigning champions Arsenal at the City Ground have been thrown into complete disarray, with manager Oliver Glasner confirming a brutal triple injury blow to key stars.
Coming off a frustrating 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park—a match where missed chances and defensive lapses extended Forest’s slumping run to back-to-back losses—Glasner is desperate to reignite his side’s campaign Trentside. However, medical updates at the Nigel Doughty Academy have revealed compounding fitness concerns across the squad’s spine.
1. Nikola Milenkovic: Agonizing Training Ground Setback
The most severe blow to Forest’s backline comes in the form of towering Serbian defender Nikola Milenkovic. Having missed two matches prior to the international window with a hamstring issue, Milenkovic was fully expected to anchor the defense at Selhurst Park after featuring in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Swansea City.
However, an agonizing duel during late training sessions resulted in a painful bone bruise, putting his return indefinitely on hold.
“(He) returned from injury and played the friendly, which was all good, (then) got injured in a duel,” Glasner revealed in his pre-match press conference. “He has a bone bruise and he will miss the game. It’s very painful and he can’t train.”
Without Milenkovic’s aerial dominance and organizational leadership, Forest’s back three faces an immense challenge containing Arsenal’s fluid frontline.
2. Igor Jesus: Forward Unit Hit by Calf Injury
Forest’s attacking depth has suffered a direct hit as well, with Brazilian forward Igor Jesus ruled out for “a number of weeks” after sustaining a muscle injury in his calf.
Jesus, who had shown immense promise during bright cameo displays off the bench, was absent from the matchday squad against Palace and will miss the upcoming block of fixtures against Arsenal and beyond.
“He has a muscle injury in his calf and he will be out for a few weeks, is what it looks like,” Glasner confirmed.
With primary marksmen Liam Delap and Chris Wood facing intense scrutiny for underperforming against their expected goals (xG), losing Jesus deprives Glasner of an explosive tactical alternative in attack.
3. Nicolo Savona: Slow-Track Rehab Following Knee Complications
Meanwhile, Italian full-back Nicolo Savona remains sidelined as the club adopts an extremely cautious approach to his long-term recovery following knee surgery in January.
While previous expectations pointed to a return to group training around the international break, Savona was not involved in open sessions. Glasner explained that past reactions and setbacks have forced the medical team to progress his rehab slowly to prevent a major relapse:
“We are now on the cautious side after he had a few setbacks or reactions in his knees,” Glasner stated. “Now we are really progressing the rehab very slowly… So far, it’s all fine.”
Tactical Nightmare Ahead of the Gunners Visit
With Neco Williams fighting through recent illness and key personnel unavailable across all three lines, Oliver Glasner enters Sunday’s match under intense pressure to stop the rot.
Facing Mikel Arteta’s formidable Arsenal side at a time when Trentside form is faltering requires absolute tactical discipline. Glasner must now rely on squad depth and defensive re-shuffling if Nottingham Forest are to pull off an epic upset and kickstart their season.
