Nottingham Forest will give Morgan Gibbs-White as much time as possible to prove his fitness ahead of the Europa League semi-final second leg at Aston Villa. The midfielder suffered a deep cut to his forehead during Monday’s 3-1 win at Chelsea, forcing him off in the second half.
There are no concussion concerns; the issue is whether the wound will heal sufficiently for him to play. Boss Vitor Pereira confirmed that a protective head covering has been made for Gibbs-White in case he is cleared to feature at Villa Park, where Forest hold a 1-0 first-leg advantage.
Pereira said: “With pain for sure. We will see until tomorrow if he is able or not. It’s a big question. This is not a question for me, it’s a decision between the player, the medical department and myself.” He added that if Gibbs-White cannot play, Forest have other options ready.
Forest have several injury concerns, with Ibrahim Sangare, Ola Aina, Murillo and Dan Ndoye all missing recent matches. Pereira said he will delay decisions but has plans A, B and C in mind.
Forest are 90 minutes from their first European final since Brian Clough’s side won successive European Cups in 1979 and 1980. They are unbeaten in 10 matches, while Villa have lost their last three games. Pereira said: “It is a match to enjoy. A match to give everything. This is a game not to think about glory, but to think about feeling proud of our work.”
