Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has stated that New Zealand striker Chris Wood will miss Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal clash at Brighton and Hove Albion due to injury.
The 33-year old suffered an injury in his country’s 3-0 win over New Caledonia on Monday, days after his hatrick in the 7-0 thrashing of Fiji had secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the All Whites.
Wood has been in spectacular form this season in the club’s surprise league run, tallying 18 goals in the Tricky Trees push for a Champions league spot.
Speaking ahead of their crucial clash against the Seagulls at the American Express Stadium on Saturday, Espirito Santo confirmed that the former Newcastle United forward will be absent for the game.
He said: “He went for a scan [on Thursday], we are still waiting. He has been to a specialist for a scan. We will wait on the information and see.”
“He will not be available for this game. He felt a kick really hard on his hip so there is pain there. We have to wait.”
Nottingham Forest has been the Premier League’s surprise team of the season with their remarkable rise to the top four despite battling relegation the previous season.
Wood’s absence will be a huge miss for Espirito Santo’s side who are also sweating on the fitness of Paraguay’s Roman Sosa.
“Every time there is an international break we have to assess,” he continued.
“Many of them just arrived today. We are still waiting on (Paraguay’s) Ramon Sosa [on Friday] and we will assess all of them.”
Brighton and Hove Albion will host Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, with both sides hoping to cap off an impressive season by securing a trip to Wembley for the semifinals in April.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
