Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has provided an update on injuries to three key attacking players, including New Zealand international striker Chris Wood.
Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the weekend’s English Premier League match against Everton, Nuno said he was hopeful of having at least one of the trio available for the game.
Wood has missed three games with a hip injury picked up during New Zealand’s FIFA World Cup Oceania qualifier against New Caledonia on March 24.
Forest’s problems have been made worse by subsequent injuries to forward Taiwo Awoniyi (hamstring) and winger Anthony Elanga (knock).
“We are still assessing all of them. They are struggling with problems — some small, some not so small — but we have to assess them. We have one more day and then we will see if they can be available for the game,” Nuno said.
“We are hopeful on all of them. It can be all of them or it can be none, we don’t know. It depends on how they recover and how they feel.
“We miss all the players when they are not available. Chris has been giving us so many things. Unfortunately, the situation with T (Awoniyi) happened at the same time.
“If that hadn’t happened, I think we would have been more balanced. But now we have the absence of two strikers, it is more difficult to prepare.
“We are trying to cope. Many of the players are not playing in their usual positions so they are trying to adapt to different situations, but this is what it is about. It happens to other teams, and it happens to us now. We have to fix it.”
Nottingham Forest are set to face Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley this weekend, but they will do so without several key players due to injuries.
Forest’s Injury Concerns
Head coach Steve Cooper has confirmed that defender Felipe is still managing a knee issue and is unlikely to feature. Striker Taiwo Awoniyi, recovering from a groin injury, is also expected to miss out, although he has been working individually to regain fitness
Additionally, midfielder Danilo has been ruled out for a few weeks, while Serge Aurier is progressing but remains a doubt for the match .
Manchester City’s Injury Woes
Manchester City are also dealing with significant injuries. Erling Haaland is expected to be sidelined for up to seven weeks following an ankle injury sustained during the FA Cup victory over Bournemouth search3. Other absentees include Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, and Mateo Kovacic Bernardo Silva is also a doubt due to a recent injury
Upcoming Fixtures
Despite these setbacks, both teams are expected to field competitive lineups. Nottingham Forest’s next Premier League match is against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday, April 21, 2025
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