Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner has revealed Nikola Milenković and Jair Cunha were ruled out at the last minute before his side’s victory over Aston Villa.
Both centre-backs had trained ahead of the game and were initially expected to feature. However, complaints of hamstring tightness led to scans, with Forest receiving the results at around 9.30pm on the night before the match.
Those results forced Glasner into an unexpected defensive reshuffle.
Milenkovic and Cunha ruled out late
Glasner explained that the timing left Forest with little opportunity to prepare an alternative defensive unit.
“Yesterday we had the circumstances when we got the results of the scans at 9.30 in the evening and all of a sudden both centre-backs couldn’t play,” he said.
The Forest boss subsequently informed Ola and Ousmane Diomande that they would be starting in a back three.
Despite losing two central defenders at such short notice, Glasner maintained his confidence in the depth of his squad.
“We can’t change it anymore and we trust in the other players,” he added. “This is why we need the entire squad.”
Diomande handed opportunity
The injuries opened the door for Diomande to come into the team, with Forest’s tactical flexibility helping them cope with the disruption.
Glasner was particularly pleased with how his players responded after preparations were thrown into doubt so late.
“We had a lot of challenges to overcome, which is why I’m very proud of the performance and of the win,” he said.
The victory was made even sweeter by Liam Delap scoring his first goal for Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa managed to equalise, but Igor Jesus struck a late winner to secure all three points for Glasner’s side.
Key Points
- Nikola Milenković and Jair Cunha were both ruled out with hamstring problems.
- Forest only received their scan results at around 9.30pm before the game.
- Glasner was forced into a late defensive reshuffle against Aston Villa.
- Ousmane Diomande was handed an opportunity in the back three.
- Igor Jesus scored the late winner after Liam Delap netted his first Forest goal.
What’s Next?
Forest will now wait to discover the severity of Milenković and Cunha’s hamstring issues. Glasner will hope neither faces a significant absence, particularly with his defensive options already tested by their late withdrawals.
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