AliousChris Wood, a key player for Nottingham Forest, suffered a hip injury while representing New Zealand in a match against New Caledonia, which they won 3-0.
As a result, he will miss the upcoming FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton. The forward, who has netted an impressive 18 goals in the Premier League this season, first noticed the hip discomfort during the international game.
He commented after the match, “I’m feeling the pain in my hip right now. It started there, so I’ll have it looked at. Fingers crossed it’s not too serious and just from the impact.”
Upon returning to Nottingham Forest from international duty, Wood underwent further medical evaluation. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo provided an update, saying, “He had a scan today, and we’re still awaiting the full results.
He’s seen a specialist, and we’ll know more soon. For now, he’s definitely out for the Brighton match. He took a heavy blow to his hip, and it’s causing him pain. We’re in a holding pattern until we get more details.”
Nuno also expressed irritation about the timing of the international break, suggesting Wood might not be the only casualty.
“These breaks always leave us scrambling to check on everyone. A lot of players only got back today, and we’re still waiting on Ramon Sosa tomorrow. We’ll evaluate them all,” he added.
Wood’s absence is a significant blow for Forest, where his scoring prowess has propelled the team to third place in the Premier League standings.
The club will be eager for a swift recovery to avoid a prolonged spell without their star striker. In his place, Taiwo Awoniyi, the Nigerian forward with just two goals this season, is expected to step up for the critical encounter.
The match offers Forest a shot at advancing in the FA Cup and potentially ending a trophy drought that stretches back to 1990.
For Brighton, the stakes are even higher, as they chase their first major honor since 1910.
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