English Premier League side Nottingham Forest are hopeful in-form Ola Aina is available for their trip to Arsenal after returning from international duty with Nigeria ahead of schedule last week.
The 28-year-old left the Eagles camp after their just one game with reports suggesting that he had suffered a knock.
Aina is a key part of the Forest side and his absence with an injury would have been a boost to Arsenal who are without a win in their last four EPL games.
Forest are currently level on points with Mikel Arteta’s men. Both sides have nineteen points from 11 games in the league, but Arsenal are slightly above the Reds due to goal difference.
The versatile defender has been in superb form this season, almost ever-present in Nuno Espirito Santo’s starting XI with Forest riding high in fifth place.
The right-back completed the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest before the international break and played 83 minutes for Nigeria in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin last Thursday.
The former Chelsea youngster was replaced late on, subsequently receiving treatment for an issue suffered in the match.
That 1-1 draw against Benin ensured Nigeria qualified for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations with a game to spare.
The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed that the ‘English Premier League side Nottingham Forest fervently requested that wing-back Olaoluwa Aina be permitted to return to the UK for their pivotal match, having already secured qualification for AFCON.’
Aina will be assessed this week and Forest will hope that he will be available for Saturday’s fixture against the Gunners.
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