Nottingham Forest man- ager Nuno Espírito Santo is sweating on the fitness of Nigeria internationals Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi ahead of Monday evening’s Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Aina and Awoniyi did not take part in team training at Nottingham Forest on Thursday, raising doubts about their availability.
The right-back is currently recovering from a calf injury picked up against Manchester United, while the striker remains out with a hamstring problem—setbacks that have seen both players miss consecutive Premier League matches against Aston Villa and Everton.
Speaking at Thursday afternoon’s pre-match press conference, Nuno Espírito Santo confirmed that Aina and Awoniyi are yet to return to full training and are being monitored on a daily basis.
The Portuguese coach admitted that no final decision has been made regarding their availability, stressing that the club’s medical staff will continue to evaluate the duo’s condition closely.
When asked whether either of them would be ready for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur, Nuno responded: “We have to assess. Like you saw, they were not with the group in the training session, still carrying some problems.
“We have to assess them (Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi), it’s going to be day by day.”
Aina started every Premier League game for Nottingham Forest this season before his spell on the sidelines, while Awoniyi has played second middle to Chris Wood for most of the campaign, making just three starts in the top fight.
The Chelsea academy graduate is in the running for a spot in the EA SPORTS FC Premier League Team of the Season.