Nottingham Forest learn Murillo injury timeline after ‘significant knock’ vs Arsenal

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If Nottingham Forest’s defeat against Arsenal was somewhat expected, one aspect that left Reds fans worried was the fitness of Brazilian defender Murillo.

Ola Aina’s hamstring injury was confirmed to be on the serious side ahead of the Arsenal clash, with the right-back set to miss at least three months of action.

Therefore, when Murillo limped off against Arsenal, concerns were raised that Ange Postecoglou could’ve already lost two of his top defenders.

Murillo’s injury was thought not to be too serious in the immediate aftermath, and Postecoglou has now discussed the current status of the Brazilian’s fitness.

Ange Postecoglou provides Murillo injury update

In the buildup to the Arsenal game, Murillo was seen working on his agility as he gets ready to become a more mobile defender under the new head coach, but this injury would seriously hamper his progress.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup clash with Swansea City, though, Postecoglou has eased any fears about his star defender.

He said: “He’s progressing well. It was a significant knock to be fair and that’s why he couldn’t carry on. He was very, very sore on Saturday night, but every day he’s improved.

“He wants to be ready for Saturday [vs Burnley], it’s a day-by-day thing, but certainly with the improvements he’s made so far, we’re hopeful that he’ll be available.”

An update that will be music to Forest fans’ ears, but also to Postecoglou’s, with defensive injuries being something that truly hampered his time at Tottenham.

Losing someone like Murillo would seriously damage any momentum for the Australian, especially considering how strong the defender looked in the first half against Arsenal.

Murillo looked well-suited to Ange Postecoglou’s system

There’s no getting away from the fact that Postecoglou demands a lot from his central defenders, which can lead to some tricky situations that wouldn’t arise under Nuno Espírito Santo.

In his brief time on the pitch against Arsenal, though, Murillo looked up to the challenge of evolving into an aggressive, front-footed defender.

Strangely for Murillo, his passing wasn’t particularly accurate on Saturday, but he was quick to push into midfield to challenge the Arsenal attackers if they dropped deep, as shown by his four interceptions.

He was able to perform this job cleanly, too, not committing a single foul, even if the technique was far more aggressive than he’s used to.

Postecoglou will be delighted that Murillo will return against Burnley, then, with the Brazilian looking set to lead the Forest defence in their new style of play.