Oliver Glasner has confirmed an injury scare for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.
Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner has revealed that Morgan Gibbs-White will miss Tuesday's Carabao Cup match against Leeds United.
The second-round tie sees Leeds return to the City Ground just days after they got the better of Forest in their opening Premier League match of the season.
But Forest have been dealt a big blow as they bid to get revenge, and earn a first competitive win under Glasner.
Speaking ahead of the game, Glasner revealed that Gibbs-White will miss the game due to pain in his knee.
“Morgan Gibbs-White will miss tomorrow’s game," he confirmed. "He got the ball and twisted his ankle, so the MCL was a little bit overstretched and he has some pain in his knee.
“There is no structural damage, but there’s no point in risking him tomorrow. We’re working really hard to get him fit for the Liverpool game on Saturday, but he can’t make tomorrow’s game."
Glasner insisted that Forest will be taking the competition seriously, as they want to win silverware, but conceded that a lot of rotation is expected, especially so soon after the opening game.
He reiterated that Forest's full focus is on winning the game, saying: “A lot of players look good and fresh and tomorrow is a cup competition.
"We want to have the same approach no matter the competition and try to win a trophy.
“We’ve had players come back late and have only had a few weeks for pre-season, so there’s no point risking them for a second competitive game in quick succession.
“We’ll have fresh minds and we’ll try to win the game.”
Yates and Savona remain out
As well as Gibbs-White, Glasner confirmed that skipper Ryan Yates and Nicolo Savona will remain sidelined for the game.
“It’s still Yates and Savona who are out," he confirmed.
Savona suffered a minor setback in his return from a serious knee injury, which means that he is still a few weeks away from returning to the pitch, with only gym work permitted at present.
Details on the nature of Yates' injury are scarce, but it is hoped that the issue is relatively minor.
No immediate blow
At face value, Gibbs-White being sidelined comes as a huge blow, but the reality is that he was never likely to play on Tuesday, even if he was fully fit.
What is a blow is the uncertainty that his issue creates, especially with tough games against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa on the horizon.
Glasner said the club are, obviously, working to get the 26-year-old fit for Saturday's trip to Anfield, and the hope will be that the issue is minor enough that he can make it.
After seemingly minor injury issues last season turned into long-term problems for Forest, fans will be hoping that this is as precautionary as suggested, and that Gibbs-White can return in the coming days.
