Injured Chris Wood ruled out of Nottingham Forest’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with Brighton

Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood will be sidelined for their FA Cup quarter-final clash against Brighton & Hove Albion following an injury sustained while on international duty with New Zealand, according to club manager Nuno Espirito Santo on Thursday.

This season, Wood has been in remarkable form, netting 18 goals for Forest in the Premier League, where the team is currently positioned third as they edge closer to Champions League qualification.

Last month, Wood also marked his performance against Brighton with a hat-trick in a stunning 7-0 victory.

The 33-year-old played a crucial role in helping New Zealand secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup during the recent international break, scoring a hat-trick in a dominating 7-0 win over Fiji. However, he limped off during Monday’s encounter with New Caledonia.

“He underwent a scan today, and we are still awaiting results. He visited a specialist for a scan, and we will wait for more information,” Espirito Santo stated ahead of Saturday’s match.

“He won’t be available for this game. He took a significant hit on his hip, so he’s experiencing some pain. We need to be patient.”

While Wood has yet to score in the FA Cup, he did manage to convert in both of Forest’s penalty shootout victories against Exeter City and Ipswich Town, taking the first penalty in each match.

As players return from international duty, Espirito Santo mentioned they are still assessing the squad for any further injury issues.

“After every international break, we need to evaluate,” he explained.

“Many players just got back today. We’re still awaiting (Paraguay’s) Ramon Sosa tomorrow, and we’ll assess all of them.”

Morgan Gibbs-White did not feature for England in their matches against Albania and Latvia, despite receiving a late call-up. Espirito Santo expressed confidence that this would not hinder Gibbs-White’s performance for Forest and insisted he doesn’t need to prove England boss Thomas Tuchel wrong.

“Hopefully, he gets an opportunity in the future… He shouldn’t feel the need to prove anyone wrong. That’s not the mindset he should adopt,” the Portuguese manager remarked.

“He needs to compete, perform, and give his all for his teammates and Nottingham Forest. Success will follow naturally.”