Nuno Espirito Santo was cryptic about the fitness of Ola Aina for the FA Cup semi-final, but one other Nottingham Forest defender has a stronger chance of returning at Wembley.
The situation isn’t ideal for the Forest manager as Ryan Yates is suspended alongside Neco Williams, on top of the injury concerns of Aina. At least further forward, the Reds are fully stocked, with Chris Wood returning from injury and getting back amongst the goals on Monday against Tottenham.
Pep Guardiola admires Forest’s attack, and they’ll have to be on form to compensate for the absentees further back as Espirito Santo doesn’t have the option to field the same defence that kept City out in March.
Aina could be fit for the City game, but playing him would carry added risk, meaning that another recently injured defender could get the nod instead.
Eric da Silva Moreira set to be fit for FA Cup semi-final
In his pre-match press conference, Espirito Santo was cagey about Aina’s availability, alongside the fitness of Eric da Silva Moreira, who would be a natural replacement at right back.
The news from The Athletic’s Forest writer, Paul Taylor, was more promising, though, as he conducted a Q&A session ahead of Sunday’s trip to Wembley.
On Moreira, he said: “I believe Moreira has a decent chance of being fit. But it is going to be a headache for Nuno, one way or another.
“It feels as though having Toffolo at left back and Moreira or Moreno at right back is the most likely option.”
Certainly promising news, having a natural replacement for Aina would allow Espirito Santo to stick with his favoured four at the back system, even though Moreira has little experience in the first team.
It would be a brave call to play the German teenager, but Forest fans would be excited to see him in action, given the buzz that has surrounded him in training.
Eric da Silva Moreira has shown potential behind the scenes
As always with a young talent, there was excitement from Reds fans when Forest signed Moreira in the summer, but they haven’t yet had much of a chance to witness his talents.
However, pre-season did show that the right back is talented, as Moreira impressed against Chesterfield and Millwall back in July.
Moreira impressed his Forest teammates as well, so they will be happy enough to see him feature against City, having played alongside him in the FA Cup already this season.
The 18-year-old started the FA Cup ties against Luton Town and Exeter City, delivering steady enough displays. He also played 27 minutes in the Premier League against Sunday’s opponents, with his stats showing that he:
- Won 100% of his tackles (2/2)
- Completed 83% of his passes
He did struggle against the ever-dangerous Jeremy Doku, but the experience will have been incredibly valuable, especially if he gets the nod at Wembley.
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