Nottingham Forest have been dealt a significant blow with the news top scorer Lewis Grabban faces at least two months on the sidelines.
The striker had to be helped off the pitch in the final minutes of last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Cardiff City after suffering an ankle injury, and was left wearing a protective boot.
He may yet need to undergo surgery, but either way, is unlikely to feature for the Reds again until towards the end of the campaign.
It is a sucker punch for Steve Cooper’s side as they look to challenge for promotion, with Grabban having netted 13 goals in 29 games this term.
“The injury is still settling down. They know exactly what the problem is, it’s just the extent of it. He’s going to see another specialist,” said the Forest head coach.
“He’s not broken it, it’s like an ankle sprain.
“He’s going to be out for at least two months.
“He’s still going through the process of whether he needs an operation or not.
“It’s still slightly inconclusive how long he’s going to be out for, but it’s going to be a minimum of two months.
“I feel sorry for Grabbs, because he was having such a good season and was playing really well for us. And it’s a blow for us as well.
“But it’s happened and we have to look forward now.
“Grabbs will get the care that he needs.
“He’ll be around the group and he’ll still try to be as much of a captain as he can be, without contributing on the pitch.
“But at the same time, the games are still there; we have to 100 percent believe in the players who will be playing in the games. It’s a challenge that we look forward to.”
Defender Steve Cook also picked up an injury against the Bluebirds. But ahead of this Sunday’s FA Cup tie with Leicester City, wingers Joe Lolley and Alex Mighten (both with knee problems) and centre-back Joe Worrall (broken ribs) are making progress.
“Cookie is not so bad. It’s still settling down, because it was a mixture of a calf strain and a knock on it as well,” Cooper said.
“We’re still waiting for the information to come down before we know how long. We’re still working on that one.
“Joe Lolley and Joe Worrall have been involved in non-contact training.
“Joe Lolley is getting close. Him and Alex are at similar stages of joining in.
“We did see Joe Lolley with us, with the team today. He’s been out for a little while now, but he’s close.”
Just as against Arsenal in the third round, Cooper is likely to name a strong team against the Foxes at the City Ground.
“We always go through the process of looking at the opponent, looking at where we think we can play well and where they are strong,” he added. “We try to pick the team that is best suited for that.
“We’ll continue to go through the same plan, and hopefully go through the right team.”
