Bristol City face an anxious wait to determine the severity of Antoine Semenyo's injury with fears he could miss pre-season ahead of the new Championship campaign.
The 22-year-old made his Ghana debut as a 76th-minute substitute in a 3-0 victory against Madagascar on June 1 but his international call-up was cut short when he was forced back to BS3 with a shin injury. Initial reports in Ghana suggested Semenyo returned to complete a transfer move away from Ashton Gate although Bristol Live confirmed those reports were wide of the mark.
Semenyo underwent tests on his return to the High Performance Centre, but has now been recommended to a specialist which will confirm the timeframe of his absence. The City squad report back for pre-season next week but the striker's return is almost certain to be delayed.
The worst-case scenario will be a repeat of 12 months ago when Semenyo was forced to miss pre-season after undergoing a knee operation. He returned to the field with a handful of substitute appearances in August although it soon became clear his knee was preventing him from getting up to speed.
He then had to wait until December 4, in a 1-0 victory over Derby to make his first league start of the season before hitting his potential in the second half of the campaign.
With the season getting underway a week earlier than usual on July 30 due to rescheduling over the winter World Cup in Qatar, manager Nigel Pearson will be fearing Semenyo once again will be playing catch-up over his fitness levels.
However, if there can be one positive to come from the injury it's that it increases the chance of Semenyo remaining a Bristol City player beyond the summer considering the transfer interest surrounding his immediate future.
His remarkable form last season, scoring eight and assisting 12 in 31 Championship appearances, saw him emerge as one of the best striking prospects outside of the Premier League. Nottingham Forest have had Semenyo on their radar for months having had a January transfer deadline day bid turned down. Manager Steve Cooper is in the market for a new frontman following their promotion to the top flight.
The club value Semenyo at around £20million with a year left on his contract although there is an option to extend his stay by another 12 months until the summer of 2024. Bristol World reported on Monday that the club had rejected a £9m offer from an unnamed club although Bristol Live understands no formal bid had been received by the Robins.
If Semenyo's injury rules him out of pre-season, Pearson may to think twice about making a move in the transfer market in attack. Nahki Wells remains the back-up although there is still the possibility the striker could leave the club this summer to get his salary off the wage book.
Tommy Conway and Sam Bell are also both pushing for first-team chances, but Brian Tinnion already conceded they will have conversations about sending the duo out on loan next season.
Although still relatively unclear the extent of Semenyo's absence at this stage, City will be hoping there isn't a repeat of team-mate Jay Dasilva's shin injury that caused him ongoing issues after joining the club in 2019.
He missed around four months with a stress fracture in his debut campaign at Ashton Gate and then required surgery in the following season that also left him on the sidelines for a prolonged period of time.
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