Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has successfully returned to competitive football, featuring for Nottingham Forest’s reserve side three months after suffering a hamstring injury, Soccernet.ng reports.
Aina sustained the hamstring injury in September during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
The injury required surgery, followed by weeks of rehabilitation, before the 29-year-old defender returned to full training three weeks ago.
On Friday, he made his comeback, as he played for Nottingham Forest’s Under-21s in their Premier League Cup game against Millwall’s U21s.
Adam Berry doubles our lead with a quick brace! Ola Aina’s effort was saved into the path of Berry, who poked the ball home from close range.
⏱️ 34′ | 2-0 pic.twitter.com/FEqFkmfsR6
— Nottingham Forest Academy (@NFFCAcademy) December 12, 2025
Aina made an immediate impact by contributing to his side’s second goal when his shot was saved, and the rebound was put away by Adam Berry. The Nigerian star completed 63 minutes of action, helping Nottingham Forest secure a 2-1 victory.
Why Did Ola Aina Play for the Junior Team?
Despite having trained with the senior squad for several weeks, Aina played with the U21s to regain his match fitness after a three-month layoff.
Top-level European football is intensely demanding, and integrating a recovering player directly into a senior squad match carries high risk of a relapse and poor performance.
However, playing with the junior team gives a much more controlled situation to build up stamina and sharpness.
While some clubs re-integrate players by giving them brief cameos off the bench, Nottingham Forest’s large squad means there are few opportunities for players still building fitness.
Super Eagles: Has Eric Chelle Made a Mistake by Not Inviting Ola Aina for AFCON 2025?
Aina’s return is welcome news for him and Nottingham Forest fans. However, the timing raises a big question of if it would have been even better news if the Super Eagles star was fit enough to play at the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Undeniably, Aina is Nigeria’s best right-back and one of the most reliable talents on the roster.
Though Aina was named in Coach Eric Chelle’s provisional 55-man list for the AFCON, he was ultimately omitted from the final 28-man squad for the competition.
This exclusion will definitely be a big miss. The fact that he played for the U21s suggests that he should be “fit as a fiddle” and fully match-ready within a week or two, a period that coincides with the Super Eagles’ opening games at the AFCON.
Aina is quick, tricky, nifty, and offers significant attacking threat. Also, his defensive ability is down pat. He is solid as a rock and almost unbeatable in 1v1 situations.
It is difficult to pinpoint any player in the AFCON squad who possesses Aina’s specific combination of qualities.
As such, the Nottingham Forest man will likely be missed. Nonetheless, fans will be hoping that whoever slots in at right-back delivers a strong performance.