Nottingham Forest are considering sending Oleksandr Zinchenko back to Arsenal before the end of his season-long loan, with Sean Dyche admitting he has spoken to the defender about his situation but offering no assurances over what happens next.
Zinchenko has struggled for minutes since arriving at the City Ground and was replaced at half-time in last week’s FA Cup defeat at Wrexham, with reports suggesting Forest may look to cut the deal short ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Arsenal.
Dyche said: “We have spoken to the player, made it clear of his situation, he is aware of that so we will see what happens. He is a thorough professional, he has been and I am sure he will be going forward.”
The Ukraine international would not be eligible to face Arsenal under Premier League rules on loanees playing against parent clubs, although he has started only four league matches for Forest this season and just once under Dyche, so even if he could be selected it is unlikely he would be.
Zinchenko has also missed seven Premier League matches with a groin injury after feeling pain during a Europa League game against Porto on October 23 and being substituted at half-time.
At Arsenal, he missed a total of 48 matches for club and country since the start of the 22/23 season.
Dyche was appointed on 21 October 2025 and Zinchenko has played 280 minutes under him across five of the 18 matches Forest have played since his arrival.
Arsenal have no place for him in their squad, so even if an agreement could be found to cut the loan deal short, the Gunners would likely be looking for another loan or permanent sale.
Zinchenko is out of contract with Arsenal in the summer and so is free to agree a deal with a foreign club during this window for a free move in the summer. So far, the teams that have been mentioned as interested in the defender include West Ham, Everton, Burnley and Galatasaray.