Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina is looking forward to their match against Chelsea at the City Ground on Saturday (today), according to Saturday TalkTalk Nigeria.

Aina joined the Blues at the under-11 level and left permanently in 2019 after loan spells with Hull City and Torino.

The 27-year-old Nigerian defender will be hoping to help the Reds complete the double over Chelsea after a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in September.

"I enjoy playing against Chelsea and continue to support them after so many years," Aina told BBC East Midlands.

"I'm not sure if this will get me into trouble, but I'm a Chelsea supporter.

"Everyone has an opinion on how things are going for them, but this is a new period, and it's not always easy to keep that level of success.

"It's a fixture I've been looking forward to, and I'm excited to be involved in it to see what happens."
On the Blues' current form, Aina said, "It's football, really. You might be both high and low at times. It's all about achieving balance and consistency. That's what I've been attempting to accomplish.

"I don't believe there is any point to prove. I don't carry any grudges; what occurred in the past happened. There is no enmity there. It's  just the career of a footballer.

"I only have pleasant memories of my time at Chelsea. It's a closed chapter, and I've gone on as anyone else would."

The former Torino star, who was part of Nigeria's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were defeated in the final by Ivory Coast, lamented numerous inexplicable refereeing decisions against the Super Eagles.

"It felt like we were fighting against destiny," Aina stated.

"You could sense the weight of Ivory Coast against us. There were several decisions that could have gone our way, but I'm not that type of player; in the end, they did enough to beat us, so fair credit to them. We've been building this team since the 2019 AFCON, when we finished third with a really young team. Getting to the final was a progression that showed we were nearly there.”

Regarding his time at Nottingham Forest, he stated, "I am absolutely enjoying my time here. I love it. It's been amazing, and they've welcomed me with open arms. The club is terrific, and playing at City Ground is an excellent experience. The mood is fantastic, and it feels great to be here. I simply want to finish the season, and I'm confident everything will work out. Right now, the focus is solely on the Premier League next season."