Manchester United narrowly overturned Ipswich Town at Old Trafford. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo was hardly optimistic when discussing the condition of his star striker Chris Wood ahead of his team’s contest against Manchester United.
The 33-year-old represented a host of clubs in what has somewhat been a journeyman’s career, but has suddenly taken his game up a notch this season, as he’s been spearheading Forest’s shocking bid for Champions League qualification while putting up ‘outstanding’ displays.
Nottingham currently sit third in the Premier League standings (that is 10 places ahead of Man Utd), whereas Wood is second on the league’s goalscorers charts with 18 strikes to his name, only bested by Mo Salah.
However, Santo received dire news during the international break, as his big centre-forward suffered a painful hit while representing New Zealand in a contest against New Caledonia. The Kiwi star landed awkwardly on the ground, apparently hurting his hip.
Therefore, the experienced striker was forced to miss Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final clash against Brighton. His absence was certainly felt, as Forest failed to find the back of the net in 120+ minutes. Nevertheless, they still managed to book their place in the Final Four by prevailing in the penalty shootouts.
Nuno Espirito Santo fears Chris Wood could miss Man Utd match
The Champions League hopefuls must now turn their attention towards their Premier League contest against the Red Devils this Tuesday at the City Park.
However, Nuno admitted Wood is likely to be out for some time, as his condition is ‘not good’.
“Let’s wait and see. It is going to be day by day we have to assess him,” said the Forest manager in his post-match interview (via Metro).
“It is all about the pain he has. It was a big impact on his hip and it is very painful. We have to assess him. We are gutted that Chris is not here with us.
“I cannot answer that [if Wood will be fit to play United]. I don’t know, I’m not sure. It is going to be day by day.”
If Wood ends up missing the midweek clash against Ruben Amorim’s side, Taiwo Awoniyi could step up to replace him once more. The 27-year-old Nigerian only has one goal in 22 EPL appearances this season, with the vast majority coming off the bench.
On the other hand, Man Utd could regain the services of several important players, including Harry Maguire.
