Nottingham Forest defender, Ola Aina, has said he is confident the club will secure Champions League qualification next season, after falling agonisingly short of continental football in the campaign just concluded.
The Nigeria international, who battled through a stop-start season disrupted by two separate injuries, insisted Forest have what it takes to break into the Premier League’s top four when the new season begins.
Forest came close to earning a place in the 2026/2027 Champions League but missed out after being eliminated in the semifinals by eventual Europa League winners Aston Villa.
Aina was absent from Forest’s Premier League squad for the first half of the season after suffering a serious hamstring injury while on international duty with the Super Eagles during a 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa.
After recovering from that setback, the versatile fullback returned to play an important role in Forest’s run to the Europa League semifinals, only for a knee injury sustained in the first-leg win over Villa to end his season prematurely. Related News D’Tigers revive World Cup hopes with Tunisia win Joshua gets called out for world title fight Adams, Ejuke chase heats up
