‘Difficult moment’ – Nottingham Forest boss provides Moussa Niakhate injury update after Valencia friendly

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has provided an injury update on Moussa Niakhate after their 1-0 pre-season defeat to Valencia on Tuesday. 

The Senegal international was forced to leave before the interval after he landed awkwardly on his left arm following a challenge for a header.

The Tricky Trees lost the game after Javi Guerra popped up with a winner early in the second half.

Cooper said: “He dislocated his elbow, so it’s obviously a difficult moment for him. 

“You hope that with a dislocation, you can put them back into place and the damage may not be as severe as what it might be, but we don’t know. 

“It might still be an injury that can keep him for a little while, or it might be a quicker recovery than it first looked. 

“We’ll keep our fingers crossed.” 

Forest are preparing for their second season back in the Premier League after sealing a 16th-place finish last term. 

They endured a difficult 2022-23 campaign, but the club stuck with Cooper and he repaid their faith by steering them to safety. 

Forest will look to be nowhere near the relegation zone this season by making an impressive start to the new campaign.

They beat Notts County in their first pre-season match before losing to Valencia.

They will now take on Levante in Bunyol before facing Leeds United at the Pirelli Stadium on July 27. 

Fixtures against PSV Eindhoven and Stade Rennais follow in what will be a busy pre-season schedule for the club.

Forest will play their final pre-season game against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Deutsche Bank Park before their season opener against Arsenal on August 12.