Nottingham Forest issue Chris Wood injury update in mammoth blow to FA Cup hopes

Wood has netted 18 goals this season but won’t be available this weekend

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a mammoth blow ahead of their FA Cup quarter-final clash with Brighton after talisman Chris Wood was ruled out of the tie with injury.

Wood, 33, sustained a hip issue when on international duty with New Zealand, forced off midway through the clash against New Caledonia at Eden Park.

There were hopes that the striker, who has been in sparkling form this season, would be able to return to fitness for Forest’s trip to Brighton this weekend, with the club just one win away from a trip to Wembley.

But manager Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed that the Premier League’s fourth-top scorer will be unavailable for the trip, with his time of recovery still up in the air.

"He went for a scan today,” he said, “We are still waiting. He has been to a specialist for a scan. We will wait on the information and see.

"He will not be available for this game. He felt a kick really hard on his hip so there is pain there. We have to wait."

Wood has enjoyed something of a career renaissance this term, smashing 18 goals in 29 appearances fuel Forest’s unlikely push for Champions League football.

Espirito Santo’s side are good value for the third-place spot they currently reside, with Wood’s firepower complemented by sturdiness at the back. Brazilian centre-back starlet Murillo and Belgian shot-stopper Matz Sels, who once considered a flop at Newcastle, are among the litany of Forest stars who have earned plaudits this term.

Their convincing league form hasn’t been quite that in the FA Cup, granted, having scraped through the fourth and fifth rounds on penalties against Exeter City and Ipswich Town.

And while Forest will hope to dispatch Saturday’s opponents to progress to a Wembley semi-final showdown, they come up against a side eager to avenge humiliation.

Chris Wood bagged a hat-trick as Nottingham Forest thumped Brighton 7-0 earlier this season (Action Images via Reuters)

Brighton succumbed to a 7-0 trouncing at the City Ground earlier this year and will be eager to bounce back by derailing Forest’s push for domestic silverware, now buoyed by the absence of familiar foe Wood, who bagged a hat-trick in that game.

Despite already having the blueprints on how to beat Brighton, Espirito Santo is not taking the challenge lightly as his side pursue a first FA Cup semi-final since 1991.

"We are aware we are going to face a very difficult opponent,” he added. “What comes after, we will see.

“We love the cup. We will give everything we can to achieve what our fans expect and desire."