Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has explained his decision to leave Super Eagles defender Ola Aina out of the squad for Tuesday’s FA Cup victory over Exeter City.
Aina has been an important member of Forest’s team this season, but Nuno opted to leave the Nigerian out as part of his approach to managing the squad during the busy schedule.
The Forest boss explained that the decision was not simply about resting players but about giving other members of the squad an opportunity to feature. Nuno said:
It’s not about resting [players], it’s about how we are approaching the competition.
We did the same at Luton, and we’re going to probably do the same [again] because, unfortunately, we cannot give minutes to all the players.
Nuno also highlighted the importance of rewarding younger players who have worked hard in training and ensuring that the entire squad remains involved.
So this is a reward for all the players that worked so hard, the young boys. It’s good for us. It’s not resting players. It’s taking care of all the squad.
Forest will now turn their attention to their upcoming fixtures, with Nuno determined to manage his players carefully as the club continues its pursuit of success in multiple competitions.
