Super Eagles and Nottingham Forest defender, Ola Aina, has been ruled out of action for as long as three months after sustaining an injury.
The 28-year-old pulled up with a hamstring problem while representing Nigeria in their World Cup qualifier against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana on Tuesday.
The ex-Chelsea star lasted just 12 minutes before making way for Birmingham City’s Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Per The Telegraph, the setback means Aina will not feature again this year.
A regular under former Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo last season, Aina had played every minute of the Premier League campaign so far before the injury blow.
His omission from the Reds’ Premier League squad, submitted on Thursday, underlines the seriousness of his absence.
The versatile defender will also sit out Nigeria’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin Republic in October, as well as the November friendly with Venezuela.
Aina will now be targeting a return in time for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for December.