Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White is hoping to feature in Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg against Aston Villa wearing a protective mask after suffering a facial injury.
The 26-year-old former Wolves man required stitches following a collision with Chelsea goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez during Monday's 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge, which kept Forest's Premier League survival hopes alive.
Forest boss Vitor Pereira confirmed on Wednesday that a late decision will be made on Gibbs-White's availability for the clash at Villa Park, where the visitors hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Pereira said: "He is in pain but we will see tomorrow if he is able to play. A decision between the player, the medical department and myself will decide his involvement but that hasn't happened yet."
The Portuguese coach added: "I honestly hope he can play and he can help us tomorrow. But if not we'll have someone else in there who will try to be the best player on the pitch. We're waiting for training to decide if it's worth the risk but one day can make the difference. We will see."
Pereira revealed that Gibbs-White had a protective mask made on Tuesday as a precaution, saying: "If Morgan cannot play we will still start with 11 and we'll be ready for this match. I think yesterday he went to have a mask made in case he can play."
Forest will also give centre-back Murillo a chance to prove his fitness. The Brazilian has been struggling with a hamstring injury and has not played since April 19.
Pereira, who has overseen a dramatic reversal in Forest's form since becoming their fourth boss of the season in February, wants his team to approach the tie without fear. He said: "This is a game not to think about glory, but to think about feeling proud of our work, to feel proud of ourselves, the way that we compete, the way that we fight for each ball, the way that we have personality to play, to face the atmosphere.
"We speak a lot about the glory, but I don't feel anything; I just want to be calm. It is exactly the same if we play at home or away. I want to see my team playing without fears, trying to create chances to score and trying to win the game. It is exactly the same if we are winning or losing, we go with the same spirit to compete.
"Tomorrow is a day to enjoy. It is a day to compete and prove ourselves again. This is something to be grateful for."
