Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood will miss his side’s upcoming FA Cup quarterfinal against Brighton & Hove Albion due to an injury.
Wood has been in outstanding form for Forest this season, netting 18 goals in the Premier League, with the club currently sitting third in the table and on track to qualify for the Champions League. The 33-year-old also made headlines last month, scoring a hat-trick in Forest’s impressive 7-0 victory over Brighton.
Wood played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s World Cup qualification during the international break, scoring another hat-trick in their 7-0 thrashing of Fiji. However, he limped off the field during New Zealand’s 1-0 win over New Caledonia on Monday, sparking concerns over his fitness.
“He had a scan today, and we’re still waiting on the results,” Nuno said, providing an update ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup clash. “He’s been to see a specialist, and we’ll wait for the full information. Unfortunately, he won’t be available for this match. He took a strong kick to his hip, and there’s pain there, so we’ll need to wait and see how things develop.”
Although Wood has not scored in the FA Cup this season, he was instrumental in Forest’s progress through the competition, converting penalties in both their shootout victories against Exeter City and Ipswich Town, where he stepped up as the first taker in both matches.
As players return from international duty, Nuno acknowledged that Forest is still assessing any potential injury issues. “After every international break, we need to evaluate everyone’s condition,” he said. “A lot of players have just arrived back today. We’re still waiting on Ramón Sosa, who will join us on Friday, and we’ll assess the others accordingly.”
Meanwhile, Morgan Gibbs-White, who was called up to the England squad late but didn’t feature in matches against Albania and Latvia, won’t let his lack of playing time for the national team affect his focus at Forest. Nuno reassured that Gibbs-White doesn’t need to prove anything to England manager Thomas Tuchel.
“I’m sure Morgan will get his chance with England in the future,” Nuno said. “But he doesn’t need to feel like he has to prove anyone wrong. His job is to compete, give his best for Forest, and support his teammates. Everything else will come naturally.”
