Vitor Pereira has got it badly wrong over Morgan Gibbs-White and Nottingham Forest have paid the price

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Credit: Imago Sat 9 May 2026 8:15, UK Vitor Pereira oversaw Nottingham Forest’s defeat to Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday.The Tricky Threes lost 4-0 at Villa Park, which resulted in a 4-1 defeat on aggregate in what was a damning night in Birmingham.Forest were simply not at the races at all as they were dominated by a Unai Emery’s side and did not lay a finger on the hosts.Much of this was down to injuries, with the Reds having multiple players unfit for the clash, including Morgan Gibbs-White.However, Pereira has to take the blame for this factor as Forest collapsed at Villa Park. ⚽ Nottingham Forest Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Nottingham Forest fixture. VISIT THE FOREST MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Vitor Pereira should have never brought Morgan Gibbs-White on vs ChelseaPereira took a risk against Chelsea on Monday when he announced a rotated side would play at Stamford Bridge.Yet, this undoubtedly paid off, with the visitors winning 3-1, having been 2-0 up at half-time.Match stats Aston VillaNottingham ForestPossession 50.9%49.1%Shots187Shots on target102Corners63Aston Villa battered Nottingham ForestTherefore, it seemed baffling that Pereira would risk bringing on Gibbs-White at half-time, with the game already being close to won.As a result, the midfielder picked up a terrible injury and was not risked against Aston Villa.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🤕 Morgan Gibbs-White (26) is currently wearing a protective face mask after suffering a facial injury against Chelsea.

He is currently on the bench for Nottingham Forest tonight. pic.twitter.com/RCIal4nz8P— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) May 7, 2026 This was simply terrible management from Pereira, and he should face heavy criticism for the decision to bring the England international on.While it was unlikely that Gibbs-White would have changed the result, his ability would have likely kept the visitors in the game for longer at Villa Park, which could have resulted in a grandstand finish.Could Gibbs-White leave Nottingham Forest this summer?Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that a number of top clubs are tracking Gibbs-White this summer.Both Manchester clubs are said to have the England international as one of their leading targets in the transfer window.The midfielder has heavily impressed in recent months, with his hat-trick against Burnley being a highlight.Forest are determined to keep hold of their best players and successfully blocked an attempt from Tottenham Hotspur to sign Gibbs-White last summer.However, it remains to be seen if the Tricky Trees are able to repeat this, in what could be a difficult summer to navigate now that European qualification is out of the question at the City Ground.