Nottingham Forest Leave Oleksandr Zinchenko Out of UEFA Europa League Squad

Nottingham Forest have raised eyebrows across the football world by omitting Oleksandr Zinchenko from their official UEFA Europa League squad, as confirmed by the list published on UEFA's website.

The decision comes as a surprise, especially considering the Ukrainian international was expected to bring depth and experience to the side after his move from Arsenal. Instead, Forest have included Neco Williams—Zinchenko’s direct rival for the left-back position—along with Ola Aina and Nicolo Savona, both of whom are also capable of covering that role.

While the reasoning behind the exclusion remains unclear, it may point towards Nottingham Forest's strategic squad rotation. The club could be looking to use Zinchenko primarily in the Premier League, aiming to keep him fresh for domestic fixtures rather than risking fatigue in European competition. It's also possible that Forest see Zinchenko as a flexible option to rotate in for key matches later in the season, much like his rotational role at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta.