Nottingham Forest are set for a tense 24 hours as they prepare for Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg at Aston Villa, with playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White's fitness hanging in the balance.
The in-form Reds hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg against their Premier League rivals and stand on the brink of history—a place in their first European final since Brian Clough's legendary side conquered the continent in 1980.
Gibbs-White suffered a nasty gash to his forehead during Monday's impressive 3-1 victory at Chelsea, forcing him off in the second half. The England international has since shared a photo on social media showing the stitches across his forehead and nose, thanking fans for their support.
While there are no concussion concerns surrounding the midfielder, the question is whether the wound will heal quickly enough for him to feature at Villa Park. Forest boss Vitor Pereira revealed the club has prepared protective headwear for the 26-year-old, just in case he gets the green light.
"With pain for sure. We will see until tomorrow if he is able or not," Pereira said on Wednesday. "It's a big question. This is not a question for me, it's a decision between the player, the medical department and myself, but we haven't had the last meeting to decide."
Gibbs-White has been in sensational form this season, bagging 16 goals—including a memorable hat-trick in Forest's recent 4-1 demolition of Burnley. His absence would be a significant blow, but Pereira remains philosophical.
"I honestly hope he can play and he can help us tomorrow, but in case it's not possible, we'll play with another one, and this one, for sure, will try to be the best player on the pitch."
The injury list doesn't end there. Ibrahim Sangare, Ola Aina, Murillo, and Dan Ndoye have all missed recent matches, leaving Pereira with tough decisions ahead.
"We have a lot of doubts," he admitted. "I think today we'll have a meeting and decide to look for the army and to understand the soldiers. To go into the battle, I prefer to go with the healthy soldiers. We'll see."
Unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions, Forest are just 90 minutes away from writing another glorious chapter in their storied history. For fans dreaming of European glory, all eyes will be on that late fitness test.