Credit: Imago

Max Wilkins

Mon 27 April 2026 19:10, UK

Aston Villa won’t be able to call on Ross Barkley against Nottingham Forest on Thursday.

The Villans are looking ahead to a second European semi-final in three seasons with a trip to the City Ground in the pipeline.

Things certainly won’t be easy against Vitor Pereira’s men, as an intense atmosphere can be expected in the East Midlands.

The travelling outfit will need to get a foot on the ball and calm things down if they are to get anything out of the first leg.

That will be made harder as Barkley will miss out against Nottingham Forest, leaving Unai Emery to ponder a potential mistake.

Ross Barkley not registered to play vs Nottingham Forest

The Englishman hasn’t featured in a single Europa League game this campaign after being omitted from the squad list.

That didn’t necessarily come as a surprise at the time, but he has gone on to be a regular in weeks gone by in claret and blue.

He has found himself starting ahead of Douglas Luiz and Lamare Bogarde at times, but they both took a place in the squad ahead of him.

That may raise concerns as the semi-final outings approach, as both clashes are set to be intense and require a cool head in the middle of the park.

Barkley would have been a useful option against Forest and has proven that he can be exactly that, even if he won’t get the chance in the upcoming fixtures.

Barkley has proven his quality vs Nottingham Forest already

The B6 outfit travelled to the City Ground earlier in April and played out a 1-1 draw in the Premier League.

The Englishman started in the middle of the park that day and made a positive impact alongside Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana.

He clocked up 38 touches and maintained a 92 per cent pass accuracy throughout his 77-minute showing in the East Midlands.

The 32-year-old also kept his only shot on target as he looked to make a difference going forward with two successful dribbles to add to his showing.

Barkley also chipped in with six defensive actions and six duel wins, proving that he can make a difference at both ends of the pitch.

It is unfortunate that he will miss out on the Europa League, and it may leave a hole in the squad that could see the Villans struggle against Forest.