Nottingham Forest dealt another huge blow as boss provides injury update ahead of Liverpool

Nottingham Forest have been dealt another injury blow, with the news defender Scott McKenna faces up to five weeks out of action.

The 25-year-old was forced off late on in Wednesday night’s 3-1 victory over QPR. And he is now set for an extended period on the sidelines.

The Reds are already without fellow centre-back Steve Cook (ankle) for six weeks, while left-back Max Lowe (groin) will be absent for the same length of time - both having come off in the 4-0 thumping of Reading last weekend. Striker Lewis Grabban, however, is expected to return soon after the international break, having been missing since the end of January with an ankle strain.

“He’s got a hamstring problem and is going to be out for four to five weeks. It’s not ideal, but as we said with the injuries we picked up in the game before, these things do happen at this time of the season - or any time of the season,” said boss Steve Cooper, ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final with Liverpool.

“You have to take it as it comes, look after the boys who are injured but focus on the ones who are ready to play the next one. It’s a blow for Scott, because everyone has seen he’s been having an outstanding season for us, so for it to be stopped in its tracks is disappointing for him, more than anything. But hopefully he’ll be back sooner rather than later.

“I’m not the only manager sitting here who has picked up injuries over the recent weeks and months. I’m not going to cry about it, I’m just going to get on with it.”

Tobias Figueiredo came into the back line to replace Cook against Rangers and is expected to get a run-out again this weekend, alongside Joe Worrall. Forest have Loic Mbe Soh and January signing Jonathan Panzo as other centre-backs on the books -