Nottingham Forest given huge injury boost ahead of Europa League quarter-final | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest will have Chris Wood available for their Europa League quarter-final first leg against Porto.

The 34-year-old striker has been out since mid-October with a knee injury, which required surgery in December.

He made his comeback recently with two appearances in under-21s games and has travelled to Portugal with a view to being involved.

Joint Europa League top scorer Igor Jesus, who faced the media before the match, looks set to start at the Estadio do Dragao, but Wood will be in the matchday squad.

"He started training with the team and he is available for the game," boss Vitor Pereira said.

"He is working with us, we need to manage a little bit physically but he has travelled. It means he is available to be in the game tomorrow.

"He is an experienced player, he scores goals and it's important to be ready for the team in this moment because we face a lot of challenges."

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(PA)

Wood's six-month lay-off has been just one of the storylines of a crazy season for Forest.

Pereira is their fourth manager - Wood did not even play under Sean Dyche - they are in the midst of a fierce relegation battle in the Premier League, yet are also in their first European quarter-final since 1980.

The Portuguese boss, who is back in familiar territory, having guided Porto to an invincible league title in 2011/12, must strike the right balance between Thursday's game and Sunday's domestic match with Aston Villa.

"The priority is to win the next game and the next game is tomorrow," he added.

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Chris Wood has not played since October (PA Wire)

"The Europa League is very important and it is very important to keep the club in the Premier League.

"I need to find the balance between the two competitions. This is the only way; the only way to compete tomorrow and again in three days' time against Aston Villa.

"These are two very high level matches with two very strong opponents, but we have to look at ourselves with confidence. What we want to be tomorrow and what we want to be against Aston Villa.

"Play with bravery and intelligence, that is what I want to see tomorrow and what I want to see three days later.

"For that, I will have to manage the playing time and the team itself otherwise the players won't be able to play with the intensity I like to see."

Brazilian striker Jesus has impressed in this competition in his debut season in England and hopes to use the remaining weeks of the season to make a late bid for the World Cup.

"That is the result of the work we do," he said. "I have been preparing very well, I always try to help my colleagues the best way possible and I hope I can keep doing it.

"To be among the players (going) to the World Cup it would be a dream and I think I have the skills for it but it will result from what I do here too."