Vitor Pereira hopes Nottingham Forest’s medical team can work ‘magic’ to get Morgan Gibbs-White fit for Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg.
Gibbs-White began on the bench against Chelsea, but got here off the bench at half-time and arrange Taiwo Awoniyi’s second as Forest picked up an enormous 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
However the in-form English midfielder needed to make way within the 66th minute following a collision with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Gibbs-White was bandaged and bleeding as he got here off the pitch, but appears to haven’t sustained a concussion following the clash.
And Pereira is hopeful that the midfielder can recuperate in time for Forest’s huge semi-final second leg against Villa on Thursday.
‘I’m waiting, I’m not a physician,’ the Forest boss said post-match. ‘Gibbs-White has a deep cut. We’ll see but he’s a fighter, he has a powerful mentality.
‘I hope our medical department can do magic to place him in condition because he’s vital for us. I said to him you don’t need to make use of the pinnacle simply to play but we’ll see.’
Asked if Gibbs-White could should abide by concussion protocol, Pereira added: ‘I believe not because I had a conversation with him.
‘He’s speaking normally and remembers every part. The one thing is to search for the face and the pain because he has pain now. We’ll see.’
Forest’s win on Monday moves them six points clear of 18th-place West Ham with two games remaining, but Pereira insisted his side won’t lose their focus until Premier League safety is securd.
‘Now we’ve got nine points to get,’ he added. ‘Nine points to win, three games.
‘The concept is to start out the sport each time with three points on our mind to get from the sport. I do know my team and my players and that is the spirit that they began [with] today to get the three points to be ready for the following battlee.’
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