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Forest optimistic despite Gibbs-White injury
Nottingham Forest remain hopeful midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White will recover in time for Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg against Aston Villa, despite suffering a facial injury in Monday's match at Chelsea.
Collision with Sanchez raises concerns
Gibbs-White and Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez were both substituted after colliding during the match, with both players leaving the pitch with head bandages. Gibbs-White required stitches to a cut on his forehead and nose, while Sanchez also sustained a head injury.
Forest manager Vitor Pereira confirmed on Wednesday that Gibbs-White's substitution was not due to concussion, meaning he is not subject to the strict return-to-play protocols that would likely rule him out of the Villa match. Instead, his availability hinges on whether his facial injury heals sufficiently.
Medical decision awaits
Pereira stated that the final call on Gibbs-White's participation will be made in consultation with the player and the club's medical team. "We'll see tomorrow if he's able to play or not. It is not a question for me; it's a decision between the player and the medical department," he said.
Forest, who take a 1-0 lead into the second leg at Villa Park, have remained unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions. The club has contingency plans in place should Gibbs-White be unable to feature.
Social media updates from players
Gibbs-White shared a photo on Instagram on Monday, thanking fans for their support and showing the stitches on his forehead and nose. Sanchez also posted an image of his own stitches, adding a lighthearted message to Gibbs-White: "Seen that you came out worst [worse] than me, hope you are OK big man."
Aston Villa missing key midfielder
Villa will be without midfielder Amadou Onana for the second leg, as he has failed to recover from a knee injury sustained in the first leg. Onana, who was substituted in the second half of the 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, did not train with the squad on Wednesday.
"Obviously not,"
Villa manager Unai Emery said when asked if Onana would be available.
Captain John McGinn, however, is expected to return after missing Villa's 2-1 loss to Tottenham on Sunday. Emery confirmed McGinn trained normally and is likely to be available for the match.
Emery acknowledges slim chances
Villa have lost their last two semi-finals under Emery, including last season's FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace. The manager acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating, "Only one team wins. When I spoke before the first leg, we had a 25% chance to get a trophy. Now, maybe it is less because we started losing. We have a 50% chance, or maybe less, to play the final."
Concussion protocols under scrutiny
Monday's match also saw Chelsea debutant Jesse Derry substituted under concussion protocols after a clash of heads with Forest's Zach Abbott. Derry was taken to hospital for precautionary checks but was reported to be conscious and talking.
Luke Griggs, chief executive of brain injury charity Headway, praised the care given to Derry and Abbott but criticized football's concussion substitution rules. He argued that the current system, which allows only one permanent concussion substitute per team per match, is insufficient.
"The use of concussion substitutions is certainly welcome, though with each team only receiving one permanent concussion substitute per game, clubs are limited as to what they can do when additional head injuries occur,"
Griggs said.
Griggs also questioned why Gibbs-White and Sanchez were not subjected to mandatory return-to-play protocols, given the nature of their injuries. "This is not about the clubs, which clearly provided first-rate treatment to their players, it's about the laws and protocols of the game-ensuring player welfare drives decision-making," he added.
