Nottingham Forest are considering a protective face mask for Morgan Gibbs-White ahead of Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg at Aston Villa, after the playmaker suffered a deep cut to his forehead in Monday's win at Chelsea. Manager Vitor Pereira said a final decision on the 26-year-old's availability would be made after discussions with the player and medical staff.
Gibbs-White has been in outstanding form, scoring five goals and providing two assists in his last five matches, and his absence would be a major blow to Forest's hopes of reaching their first European final since 1980. Pereira described the injury as 'painful' but confirmed there are no concussion concerns, leaving the wound's healing time as the only factor.
Meanwhile, Villa manager Unai Emery played down his side's chances of ending a 30-year trophy drought, despite his record of four Europa League titles. 'It's not a defeat if we do not achieve a trophy,' he said, adding that Villa's chances had decreased after losing the first leg 1-0. Emery made seven changes in Sunday's Premier League defeat to Tottenham, prioritising Thursday's clash.
The match pits two in-form number 10s against each other: Gibbs-White and Villa's Morgan Rogers, who has seen his form dip after a strong start to the season. Rogers has managed only two goals and two assists in his last 15 appearances, and was nutmegged by Forest's Elliot Anderson in the first leg, a moment that drew praise from pundit Ally McCoist.
Both clubs see this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Villa last reached a European final in 1982, winning the European Cup, while Forest's last continental final was their 1980 European Cup triumph under Brian Clough. The winner will face either Braga or Freiburg in the final in Istanbul on 20 May.
