Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has shared some good news for the Tricky Trees ahead of their vital Premier League showdown against Aston Villa.
Forest take on Villa as Pereira searches for second consecutive league win
Forest and Villa arrive at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon from very different places and with very different problems to solve.
Both clubs were in Europa League action on Thursday, both are still competing on two fronts, and both now face a Premier League fixture that carries real weight.
Forest sit 16th in the table, two points above the relegation zone, with survival the dominant concern heading into the final weeks of the season.
Pereira’s side picked up a hugely important 3-0 win at Tottenham before the international break and then drew 1-1 with Porto in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final — a creditable result on the road that keeps their European journey alive.
Three wins from 15 league games at the City Ground tells its own story, and they have not won a league match at home since early February.
For a side fighting to stay in the division, that record cannot continue.
Villa go into this in fourth place as they chase the final Champions League qualification slot, and Thursday brought another continental boost, with Ezri Konsa’s header and two Ollie Watkins goals handing them a 3-1 victory at Bologna.
Forest will be boosted by the return of exit-linked Elliot Anderson following his absence in Portugal, though Igor Jesus is expected to lead the attack with Chris Wood still being managed carefully after his long-term absence.
Vitor Pereira says no new injury concerns for Chris Wood
The Wood situation is the central story in Forest’s team news, and it is now considerably more positive than it appeared even a month ago.
The New Zealand international suffered a knee problem during international duty last October, initially thought to be a minor setback. Scans before Christmas revealed that rest alone would not resolve the issue, and he underwent surgery in December.
What followed was one of the most gruelling recoveries of his career, with reports suggesting at the time that Wood might miss the rest of the season.
However, he returned to first-team action on Thursday, playing the opening 45 minutes against Porto in a pre-planned arrangement to ease him back in.
Now, fears of any new worries about Wood’s condition after months out have been eased, with Pereira confirming there are no concerns to report ahead of Villa, and he is ready to go again.
“Fantastic player, fantastic character,” said Pereira.
“We will see next game. We try step-by-step to get the confidence and the shape.
“No injury, 45 minutes, next game we will see.”
That measured approach suggests a starting role against Villa remains unlikely, with Jesus expected to continue up front.
But having Wood available again at all — even from the bench — is a material boost for a club that has found goals difficult to come by without him.
Wood scored 20 Premier League goals last season as Forest finished seventh and had contributed four before his knee injury.
Getting him back to anything approaching that level before the end of the season could make the difference between survival and the alternative.
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