Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates is facing several weeks on the sideline through injury, a report from The Mirror has revealed.

Yates has been a regular feature in Forest's side this season, making 22 league appearances for the club, scoring once and providing two assists.

Now however, it seems as though Forest manager Chris Hughton will have to cope without the 23-year-old for some time to come yet.

According to this latest report, Yates is set to be absent for the next three weeks with a calf injury he suffered during the 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough in midweek.

The midfielder was forced off late on in that game, and it now looks as though that setback will keep him out of action until mid-February, with Forest set to face the likes of Barnsley, Coventry and Wycombe in the Championship between now and then.

There is also the issue of a potential FA Cup run, with Forest travelling to Championship rivals Swansea in the fourth round of the competition on Saturday afternoon.

As things stand, Forest are 20th in the Championship table, five points clear of the relegation zone, but having played more games than the majority of sides around them.

The Verdict

This update on Yates will surely be something of a blow for Forest.

Yates has emerged as a regular feature for Chris Hughton's side during the course of this season, so you would imagine not being able to call on him for some time now will be a source of frustration for the Forest boss.

That being said, there are plenty of other options for Hughton to call upon in that position at The City Ground, meaning they could still be able to cope with the absence of Yates for the next few weeks.