Morgan Gibbs-White is battling more than just Aston Villa this week. The Nottingham Forest star is nursing a painful facial injury that could force him to wear a protective mask in Thursday's decisive Europa League semifinal second leg, manager Vitor Pereira confirmed Wednesday.
The attacking midfielder, who is pushing for a spot in England's World Cup squad, suffered a deep gash on his forehead during a collision with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in Forest's impressive 3-1 Premier League victory at Stamford Bridge on Monday. The incident cut short his second-half cameo just 20 minutes after he entered the fray as a substitute.
Now, his availability for the crucial return fixture at Villa Park—where Forest holds a slender 1-0 aggregate lead thanks to Chris Wood's second-half penalty in the first leg—hangs in the balance.
"(He is) with pain, for sure," Pereira admitted. "But we will see tomorrow if he is able (to play) or not. Big question. It's a decision between the player, the medical department and myself, but we didn't have the meeting to decide."
When asked whether Gibbs-White could take the field wearing a specially fitted face mask, Pereira revealed: "I think yesterday he went to have a mask made."
The stakes couldn't be higher. Gibbs-White has been one of the Premier League's standout performers this season, and his creativity could be the key to unlocking Villa's defense. The winner of this tie not only books a trip to the Europa League final in Istanbul but also secures direct qualification to next season's Champions League.
For Forest, this represents a shot at history. The club hasn't lifted a European trophy since their legendary back-to-back European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980 under the iconic Brian Clough. Villa, their Midlands rivals, claimed Europe's top prize in 1982, meaning both sides carry rich continental heritage—even if it's been a generation since either tasted that glory.
In the other semifinal, Braga holds a 2-1 advantage over Freiburg heading into the return leg in Germany.
Whether Gibbs-White dons the mask or not, Thursday's clash promises to be a battle worthy of the occasion.