Nuno urges Forest to seal Champions League place for Awoniyi

Nuno Espirito Santo has urged Nottingham Forest to use Taiwo Awoniyi's recovery from his horrific injury as their inspiration to seal a historic place in the Champions League.

Nuno's side head into their last game of the Premier League season against Chelsea on Sunday aiming to reach Europe's elite club competition for the first time since 1980-81.

If seventh-placed Forest beat fifth-placed Chelsea at the City Ground and fourth-placed Newcastle or sixth-placed Aston Villa fail to win against Everton and Manchester United respectively, Nuno's men will be guaranteed a top-five finish.

That would be a remarkable achievement for a club that battled to avoid relegation last season.

And Nuno added to the incentive for his players as he challenged them to prove an uplifting end to the season for Awoniyi.

Forest's Nigerian star sustained a serious abdominal injury after colliding with a post in Forest's recent draw against Leicester and is recovering after being placed in an induced coma following surgery.

Forest's players wore T-shirts with Awoniyi's name and number on the back during the warm-up before last week's win at West Ham and Morgan Gibbs-White kissed a shirt bearing the Nigerian's name after scoring in that game.

"It's going to be for Taiwo. He's not going to be with us. It was a big issue what happened to him and it's in our minds," Nuno told reporters on Friday.

"We want to see him totally healthy, enjoying the group, so it's going to be for Taiwo again. For him, for us, for the fans, for the city, for everybody. But we will just play the game."

Nuno gave a positive update on Awoniyi's recovery on Friday, adding: "He's much better. He's already been able to walk.

"The doctor has informed me he's starting his normal life in terms of food, so he's much better."

If results elsewhere deny Forest a Champions League place, they can still clinch a Europa League berth by beating Chelsea.

Reports this week suggested Nuno could leave Forest at the end of the season, with Italian club Roma said to be interested in the Portuguese coach.

But Nuno dismissed the speculation over his future, adding: "Do you really think I'm going to waste time on that?

"So much to think and get ready for. My main focus is preparing the team, getting best solutions and details for players. Nothing else."

EMERY 'PROUD' OF VILLA EVEN IF TOP-FIVE BID FAILS

Unai Emery insists he will be proud of Aston Villa's season even if they fail to qualify for the Champions League on Sunday.

Sixth-placed Villa are outside the top five places that guarantee Champions League qualification on goal difference heading into the last day of the season.

But a victory at Old Trafford against Manchester United, combined with Chelsea or Newcastle failing to win against Nottingham Forest and Everton respectively or Manchester City losing at Fulham, would secure Villa's place in Europe's elite club competition.

Even if results don't go in Villa's favour, Emery will be satisfied with a season that saw them reach the Champions League quarterfinals and FA Cup semifinal while pushing for a top-five place.

"We're ambitious, and our ambition is how we are being demanding over the second half of the season and arriving in the key moment with the possibility to be there," the Villa boss told reporters on Friday.

"It's not in our hands, but we did a really great effort to be here now.

"I'm so proud of our club, our supporters and our players. If we are getting the better gift on Sunday to play Champions League, it will be more."

Although Villa will need help from other results to make the top five, Emery has no intention of checking up on the scores elsewhere while his team are in action.

"In our hands is only our result on Sunday, how we can respond and how we can perform against Manchester United," he said.

"I want only to play our match, only to focus on our match in 90 minutes and try to focus the dressing room on the first half on everything tactically and individually.

"We will not focus on other results. We must win, we must compete and we must get our result."

Villa could not have hand-picked better opponents for the do-or-die match as United return to action for the first time since losing the Europa League final against Tottenham on Wednesday.

United are set for their worst league finish since being relegated in 1973-74 and have lost six of their last eight top-flight matches.

Publicly at least, Emery refused to underestimate United, saying: "Always, I expect the best of them. The greatness of Manchester United is still there. The coach is a great coach and the players are very good.

"We have played here with Aston Villa for three years and I didn't beat them at Old Trafford. My respect for Manchester United is massive."