Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has kept fans on edge as he remains uncertain whether star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White will feature in Thursday's crucial Europa League semi-final second leg against Aston Villa.

The creative playmaker suffered a deep gash to his forehead following a collision with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez during Forest's impressive 3-1 victory on Monday. With the tie finely poised at 1-0 in Forest's favor, Gibbs-White's availability could prove decisive.

"He has pain, for sure," Pereira admitted. "We will see. We have until tomorrow to see if he is able or not." The manager emphasized that the final call rests on a collaborative decision between the player, medical staff, and himself, with a meeting scheduled to determine the best course of action.

Pereira remained characteristically pragmatic, adding: "The doubts you have about Morgan are the same doubts I have. But if Morgan cannot play, we will still start with 11 players. He is a very important player for us, but we are ready."

When asked about a protective mask for Gibbs-White, Pereira offered a lighthearted response: "I think so, but I don't know the colour! I think yesterday he went to make the mask."

The injury concerns don't stop there. Forest are also monitoring the fitness of key players Murillo, Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare, and Dan Ndoye ahead of the high-stakes clash. Pereira's squad depth will be tested, but the Portuguese tactician remains focused on the bigger picture.

"We can have doubts about the players, but we cannot have doubts about the spirit, about what we want, about how we believe," Pereira declared. "About the injured players, I have a lot of doubts. To go into the battle, I prefer to go with the healthy soldiers. We'll see."

With Forest holding a narrow first-leg advantage and a place in the Europa League final at stake, all eyes will be on the team sheet when it drops on Thursday. For fans and fantasy managers alike, the Gibbs-White situation is one to watch closely.