Ryan Yates shocks City Ground crowd in Nottingham as Nottingham Forest captain plays on with gruesome finger injury against Fenerbahce in Europa League thriller

Seven minutes. That’s all it took for the tone of the evening to change at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest captain Ryan Yates went down awkwardly in the opening exchanges of their Europa League play-off second leg against Fenerbahce.

It looked innocuous at first — just another midfield tumble in a game that promised intensity.

But when he got up, it was clear something wasn’t right.

His pinkie finger had dislocated, bending at an angle that made even seasoned viewers wince.

When Toughness Isn’t Just a Cliché

The broadcasters refused to show a replay.

On commentary, Darren Fletcher summed it up with a mix of disbelief and admiration, joking that viewers might lose their appetite if they saw it.

Yates, though, barely made a fuss. A quick gesture to the physio.

A grimace. A reset. And then — incredibly — he carried on.

There was no dramatic walk down the tunnel, no substitution board raised.

Just the Forest skipper getting his finger popped back into place and jogging into position like it was business as usual.

He was even smiling, reportedly.

It’s the sort of old-school resilience that fans romanticise.

And within minutes, social media was awash with praise.

Words like “rock hard” and “proper captain” were thrown around.

One supporter joked they’d have taken a week off work for less.

In an era of sports science, load management and cautious substitutions, moments like this feel almost defiant.

A Tie That Suddenly Got Tense

If the finger incident was stomach-churning, the scoreline wasn’t exactly calming either.

Forest had travelled to Turkey last week and stunned everyone with a 3-0 dismantling of Fenerbahce — a dream start for new boss Vitor Pereira in his first match in charge.

It was bold, clinical, and unexpectedly dominant.

But European nights have long memories.

After 22 minutes in Nottingham, Kerem Akturkoglu fired the visitors ahead, planting a seed of doubt inside the stadium.

Suddenly, the noise dipped. Forest’s comfortable cushion didn’t feel quite so plush.

Early in the second half, it got worse.

A penalty — awarded after a challenge by Jair Cunha that many in the stands felt was soft — was calmly dispatched by Akturkoglu for his second of the night.

Now the aggregate lead looked vulnerable.

European football has a way of turning steady evenings into nerve-shredders.

Hudson-Odoi’s Timely Intervention

Just when anxiety began creeping into the terraces, up stepped Callum Hudson-Odoi.

In the 68th minute, he cut inside and buried a low finish into the bottom corner — the kind of goal that doesn’t just alter a scoreboard, but shifts the emotional temperature of a stadium.

Relief washed over the City Ground. Forest had breathing room again.

Hudson-Odoi’s resurgence this season has been one of the quieter success stories in English football.

Once tipped as one of the brightest prospects in the country during his time at Chelsea, injuries and inconsistency stalled his trajectory.

But in Nottingham, he’s rediscovering rhythm — and moments like this matter.

The Bigger Picture for Forest

Forest’s European journey itself feels like a throwback.

This is a club that once conquered the continent under the legendary Brian Clough, winning back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980 — a feat that still feels surreal in modern football.

For years, those glory days felt like distant folklore.

Financial struggles, relegations, and long spells outside the Premier League defined much of the club’s recent history.

But now, European nights are back at the City Ground — and they come with fresh heroes.

Yates, a product of Forest’s academy, embodies that revival.

He’s not the flashiest name on the team sheet, but he represents continuity, local pride, and grit.

Playing on with a mangled finger? It only strengthens that image.

Impact and Consequences

Physically, a dislocated finger — especially one treated quickly — can be manageable.

But swelling, stiffness and pain are inevitable.

Forest’s medical staff will monitor Yates closely in the coming days.

There’s always a risk of ligament damage, even when the joint is reset swiftly.

Psychologically, however, the impact may be more powerful than medical charts can measure.

Moments like this can galvanise a dressing room.

Teammates see their captain refuse to step aside.

Supporters see a leader willing to endure pain in a crucial European tie.

It fosters belief — the intangible currency of knockout football.

For Fenerbahce, the fightback showed they won’t go quietly in continental competitions.

Even trailing heavily from the first leg, they demonstrated attacking threat and composure under pressure.

That resilience will serve them well domestically and in future campaigns.

What’s Next?

The immediate focus will be on recovery and rotation.

European football stretches squads, and Pereira will need to balance ambition with practicality, particularly with domestic commitments piling up.

If Forest progress, tougher opposition awaits.

The latter stages of the Europa League often feature Champions League drop-down sides and seasoned European operators.

Managing injuries — even seemingly minor ones — becomes critical.

For Yates personally, the spotlight will linger. Fans love warriors.

But football calendars are relentless, and preserving his fitness could be just as important as celebrating his bravery.

And as for the tie itself? With the report set to be updated after full-time, the final outcome will shape how this night is remembered — as a wobble, a warning, or a triumphant step forward.

Summary

Ryan Yates suffered a painful early finger dislocation but astonishingly played on as Nottingham Forest hosted Fenerbahce in a tense Europa League play-off second leg.

Despite holding a commanding first-leg lead, Forest were rocked by two Kerem Akturkoglu goals before Callum Hudson-Odoi restored breathing space with a crucial strike.

Beyond the scoreline, Yates’ toughness became the defining image of the night — a symbol of Forest’s fighting spirit on their return to European competition.

Bulleted Takeaways

• Ryan Yates dislocated his pinkie finger just seven minutes into the match but continued playing after treatment.

• Broadcasters declined to show a replay due to the severity of the injury.

• Fenerbahce clawed back momentum through a Kerem Akturkoglu brace, including a disputed penalty.

• Callum Hudson-Odoi’s composed finish eased tensions and strengthened Forest’s aggregate position.

• Forest’s European revival carries echoes of their historic continental successes under Brian Clough.

• The injury could require monitoring, but the psychological lift from Yates’ resilience may be just as significant as any tactical adjustment.