Nottingham Forest have been dealt with a potential injury blow ahead of the return to club football this weekend, with reports coming out that one of their promising new signings has returned early from the international break.
Nottingham Forest – latest team news
After a positive start to the campaign, Steve Cooper’s side found themselves going into the international break in ninth place after four games played, winning two and losing two.
Over the course of the international fixtures so far, six Forest players have been involved for their respective countries, with some exciting performances standing out to fans.
New signing Ibrahim Sangare, who is yet to make his Forest debut, scored the only goal for his native Ivory Coast, as they beat Lesotho 1-0 in their final game of the AFCON qualifying stages.
Meanwhile, centre-forward Taiwo Awoniyi continued his fine form, as he scored for Nigeria in their 6-0 rout over São Tomé and Príncipe. Defender Ola Aina also featured in the game, playing 73 minutes.
There is, however, some more slightly concerning news for Forest fans after winger Anthony Elanga was withdrawn from the Swedish national camp after picking up an injury in training.
What's the latest news on Anthony Elanga?
The latest reports coming out of his home country reveal that the 21-year-old dynamo has left their team camp immediately to return to Forest, having picked up an issue.
The winger was an unused substitute as Sweden beat Estonia 5-0 on Saturday and the latest update means he will no longer be part of the squad for the upcoming game against Austria on Tuesday.
Currently, the cause or extent of the injury have not been revealed, although in an official statement released by the Sweden national team, it was described as 'minor' but it is clearly bad enough to return to the Midlands ahead of schedule.
How has Elanga performed this season?
The absence of Swede would no doubt be damaging to Cooper and the team, having made a promising start to his Forest career since his summer move from Manchester United.
Elanga is already off the mark in terms of both goals and assists, including a memorable match-winning goal against Chelsea to hand Forest their first away win of the season before the international break.
His efforts earned the praises of his boss, who after the result at Stamford Bridge said:
“We want players like [Elanga] in the squad who are young and hungry, and who we know can grow.
“He is already a really good player, but he will become a very important player for us. It’s just a process. Days like this will help him as well.”
The club will be hopeful that the injury is not a serious concern that could threaten to keep the winger out for extended periods of time, as Elanga – who earns around £25k-per-week at the City Ground – had been quickly adapting to life at Forest ahead of the break.
The side return to action on September 18th where they host Burnley, who are still looking for a first league win of the season, although they got the better of Forest when the two sides met in the Carabao Cup second round in late August.
