Murillo, Hudson-Odoi and Savona: Nottingham Forest injury latest and return dates ahead of Sunderland
Nottingham Forest's push from Premier League survival continues against Sunderland on Friday night
Nottingham Forest took a crucial step towards Premier League survival last weekend, as they stormed to 4-1 win over Burnley at the City Ground. An inspired hat-trick from Morgan Gibbs-White was at the heart of the stirring second-half comeback, with Igor Jesus’ late goal deep in stoppage time putting the ice on the cake for the home support.
After Tottenham and West Ham both dropped points in their most recent games, Forest are now sitting sixteenth in the table - five points clear of the relegation zone. Tough tests await Vitor Pereira’s side in the coming weeks, however, with a trip to Sunderland on Friday night, before crucial fixtures against Chelsea, Newcastle, Man United and Bournemouth.
On top of that, Forest are still flying high in Europe, and could have their first taste of silverware on the Continent since 1980, should they win the Europa League. They take on Aston Villa - a side set for a busy summer transfer window - in the semi-final, with the winner taking on either Portuguese side Braga or Bundesliga outfit Freiburg in next month’s final.
Ahead of a hectic few weeks of action for Forest, we’ve rounded up the latest injury news from the City Ground:
Nottingham Forest injury news latest update - short-term
Murillo (thigh) - Losing your star centre-back is a blow at any time of the season, let alone during a relegation battle and a deep run in Europe. Pereira revealed after the Burnley game that Murillo - a player Forest could well lose this summer - told him he doesn’t believe his injury is too serious, however, and it seems likely that he’ll push hard to be available for Forest’s next game. Estimated return date: 24th May vs Sunderland.
John Victor (knee) - Goalkeeper Victor underwent individual training last week, stepping up his recovery from a serious knee injury suffered against Aston Villa back in January. With Matz Selz thriving between the sticks in recent weeks, it seems unlikely that Pereira would unsettle things at the back ahead of the final run-in, even if Victor is fit to play. Estimated return date: pre-season.
Dan Ndoye (knock) - A bit of a mystery here, with the versatile winger absent from Forest’s win over Burnley last weekend. He played 65 minutes against Porto last week and didn’t appear to be injured when he left the field. With Hudson-Odoi out of action, the Switzerland international will be required to feature again sooner rather than later. Estimated return date: 24th May vs Sunderland.
Nottingham Forest injury news latest update - long-term
Nicolo Savona (knee) - Last summer’s £11m signing racked up over 1000 Premier League minutes for Forest earlier this season, before sustaining serious knee injury in training back in January. He’s not played a game since, and underwent surgery last month. It’s too soon to tell whether he’ll play again this season, but with just five league games to go, it’s looking unlikely. Estimated return date: pre-season.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (thigh) - The ex-Chelsea wonderkid’s new injury is a huge blow to Forest’s exploits in Europe and their hopes of remaining in the Premier League. He picked up a hamstring injury in Forest’s win over Porto last week, and fresh reports from The Athletic suggest he won’t feature again this season. Estimated return date: pre-season.
Willy Boly (knee) - The veteran defender has made just two appearances for the club in the 2025/26 campaign - an EFL Cup loss to Swansea City, and a brief cameo in their 2-2 away Europa League draw with Real Betis. He’s back doing individual training, but still has work to do to return. He may well have played his last game for Forest, with his contract expiring this summer. Estimated return date: unknown.