Postecoglou admits he was looking forward to working with injured Ola Aina at Forest

Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou has admitted his love for Nigeria defender Ola Aina and further said while joining the Premier League club he was looking forward to working with him but found him out injured.

The Nigerian star was forced to undergo surgery following an injury picked while playing for the Super Eagles during their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying fixture against South Africa which ended in a 1-1 draw at Free State Stadium on September 9.

“I was looking forward to working with him. I watched him as an opponent last year and, particularly with the way I like my full-backs to play, he was a perfect fit for it,” the former Tottenham manager told BBC Sports.

“I know he was excited by the season ahead, back in European football. Sometimes when these things happen early in the year, I said to him that the best part of the season will be there for him so he can make a massive impact when it is most needed.”

Aina surgery went really well

“His surgery went really well – that’s the first thing ticked. Now he’s got to work hard and rehab, which I’m sure he will, and he’ll stay close to the group.”

Earlier on, Aina had taken to his social media pages to reveal undergoing surgery: “Surgery went really well and recovery is going smoothly. Looking forward to WHAM. A massive thank you to the club, @officialnffc, my teammates, and all the fans for the incredible past few days, it means a lot,” Aina wrote.

The injury had ruled out Aina out of the Arsenal Premier League fixture which they lost 3-0 and the Carabao Cup exit Swansea City which they suffered a 3-2 defeat after leading 2-0 at the half-time break.

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