Vitor Pereira hopeful 'fighter' Morgan Gibbs-White will be fit for UEFA Europa League semi-final after nasty head injury against Chelsea
Published 04/05/2026 at 20:28 GMT+1
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Morgan Gibbs-White suffered a bloody head injury during Nottingham Forest's 3-1 victory at Chelsea on Monday, but there is hope he will be fit for the club's crucial game against Aston Villa on Thursday.
Highlights: Wood profits from bizarre handball as Forest net first-leg win over Villa
Video credit: TNT Sports
Vitor Pereira made eight changes to his Forest side at Stamford Bridge ahead of their UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg at Villa Park - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max - which they lead 1-0.
Despite heavily rotating his side for the Premier League clash, Forest came away with an impressive 3-1 victory, but not without an injury to one of their star players.
Gibbs-White came off the bench at half-time, but lasted only 10 minutes before colliding with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
He was forced off with a nasty gash on his head, which was later stitched up as he revealed in a post on social media - seemingly in good spirits.
Pereira and Forest fans alike will no doubt be sweating over the midfielder's fitness before Thursday's monumental clash against Villa, with a place in a major European final up for grabs.
"I'm waiting - Gibbs-White has a deep cut, we'll see - he's a fighter, he has a strong mentality," Pereira said in his post-match press conference.
"I hope our medical department can do magic to put him in [good] condition for Thursday. I said to him, 'You don't need to head [the ball], you just need to play!'"
Pereira also revealed that, perhaps crucially, Gibbs-White did not suffer a concussion.
"No, no concussion. He's speaking normally, he remembers everything, but the only thing is the pain," he explained.
"I spoke to him in the dressing room, and he's okay."
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How to watch Forest v Villa on TNT Sports
The second leg of Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals takes place on Thursday, May 7, at Villa Park in Birmingham.
Kick-off is at 20:00 UK time, with live coverage on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max starting from 19:00.
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