Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has opened up on why Ola Aina didn't feature in the FA Cup fourth-round encounter against Exeter City.

Aina has featured in every single Premier League encounter this season, registering two goals and one assist.

Despite being one of the most consistent players for the Tricky Trees, the 28-year-old was not on the squad list for the encounter against the third-tier English club.

Speaking on why Aina did not make the squad list for the game, Portuguese tactician Santo disclosed that some players needed to be rewarded for their hard work.

“It’s not about resting [players], it’s about how we are approaching the competition. We did the same at Luton, and we’re going to probably do the same [again] because, unfortunately, we cannot give minutes to all the players.

“So this is a reward for all the players that worked so hard, the young boys. It’s good for us. It’s not resting players. It’s taking care of all the squad. The FA Cup is very hard and just look at the draws that came. A lot of surprises will happen. We just have to do our job. It’s going to be at the City Ground [the match with Ipswich], and we’re going to be ready,” the former Tottenham Hotspur gaffer said in quotes revealed by The Sun.