Nottingham Forest games Murillo could miss with hamstring injury as Vitor Pereira suffers new blow

Nottingham Forest were dealt a worrying injury blow in their Premier League clash with Burnley on Sunday, as Murillo was forced off in the first half with a hamstring injury.

The 23-year-old was named in the starting lineup for the top-flight fixture at the City Ground despite having to come off with 72 minutes gone in Thursday's 1-0 Europa League triumph over Porto.

Head coach Vitor Pereira expressed hope that Murillo would swiftly recover from his blow in time for the visit of the Clarets, and the Brazilian was able to take his place in defence alongside regular central partner Nikola Milenkovic.

However, Pereira's risk backfired, as in the dying embers of the first half, Murillo appeared to pull his hamstring while bursting back to prevent Zian Flemming from having a run at goal.

The defender quickly dropped to the turf grabbing the back of his leg, and after conversing with the Forest medical team, he was withdrawn for Jair Cunha in the 41st minute.

Which Nottingham Forest games could Murillo miss through injury?

Murillo is unable to continue and is replaced by Jair Cunha. ? pic.twitter.com/l73p6AQwwH

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 19, 2026

Questions will likely be asked of Pereira for risking Murillo after his scare on Thursday night, but the 23-year-old was always going to start this critical basement battle if given the green light.

However, if the 23-year-old has indeed strained his hamstring as expected, he will face at least a couple of weeks out, and there is a chance that his season is now over.

A mild Grade 1 injury usually requires a two-week rest period, meaning that Forest could be without Murillo for games against Sunderland (April 24), Aston Villa (April 30) and May 4 (Chelsea).

The Brazilian would also be at risk of missing the second leg of the Europa League semi-final with Villa on May 7, and if he has sustained a Grade 2 or 3 injury, he would also sit out the Premier League run-in against Newcastle United (May 10), Manchester United (May 17) and Bournemouth (May 24), as well as the Europa League final if Forest get there.

A Grade 3 tear would also scupper Murillo's World Cup chances, but he has not been called up to the Brazil squad since winning his first cap in March 2025, so a spot on the plane would have been a long shot anyway.

Could Murillo injury scupper summer transfer?

© Imago / APL

Murillo sacrificed his hamstring to prevent Flemming from scoring on Sunday, but soon after the South American's withdrawal, the Clarets man found the net on the stroke of half time.

Should Forest fail to come back against Burnley, they would only be two points above 18th-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League table and one point better off than West Ham United, who play Crystal Palace on Monday.

The Tricky Trees dropping down to the Championship could trigger the exits of several star names such as Murillo, who has been heavily linked with the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona over the past several months.

A Grade 1 or 2 issue should not ruin Murillo's hopes of a marquee transfer, and even if the Brazilian is out for months with a complete tear - an unlikely scenario - suitors should not be put off.