Nottingham Forest have suffered another major injury setback ahead of their Europa League semi-final clash with Aston Villa. The two Premier League rivals are set to meet in the semi-finals of the competition, with Villa traveling to the City Ground for the first leg next Thursday, followed by the return leg at Villa Park on May 7.
The winners of the tie will face either Braga or SC Freiburg in the final in Istanbul. Forest were already confirmed to be without winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who underwent season-ending surgery this week. Now, key defender Murillo is also expected to be sidelined, at least for the first leg.
Forest boss Vitor Pereira confirmed the news during a press conference on Thursday, ahead of their Premier League match against Sunderland on Friday night. “He (Murillo) is out (against Sunderland),” Pereira said. “We will see. It is a muscle injury. I’m not a doctor, I cannot predict, but he will be out tomorrow. I think it will be more than one game.”
The absence of Murillo is a significant blow for Forest, who will need to reorganize their defense against a strong Aston Villa side. The club will be hoping for a swift recovery as they aim to reach the Europa League final.
