Nottingham Forest defender Tendayi Darikwa has offered an update on the injury he sustained in pre-season, that looks set to rule him out of action until the end of the season.

The right-back is set to be out of action for a considerable amount of time after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, just days before the start of the 2019/20 campaign.

The 27-year-old has been a key player for Forest since arriving from Premier League side Burnley in 2017, making a total of 63 appearances for the Reds since his move to the City Ground.

In Darikwa's absence, Matty Cash has established himself as one of the most impressive full-backs in the division, with Carl Jenkinson also spending time on the sidelines at present.

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live about his rehabilitation, Darikwa has admitted that he remains hopeful of making an appearance for Forest before the end of the season.

He said: "So far, so good. It’s a long-term injury, so it’s slow progress. But I’m happy that I am making progress.

"The main thing is just to stay focused on the rehab - do everything that the doctors and the physios are telling me to do. Hopefully I can then get back at the back end of the season.

"We haven’t put a timescale on an exact return date just yet, because it’s still so early. But I’m hopeful, with a bit of good luck and a lot of hard work, I might get lucky and play a few games."

Darikwa has been sat on the sidelines watching his teammates climb into the Sky Bet Championship automatic promotion places, after what has been a magnificent start to the season.

Sabri Lamouchi's side have lost only one of their opening 11 league matches, and currently occupy second spot in the league standings.

The Reds face Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium this weekend.

The Verdict

Darikwa will be gutted to be injured, what with Forest playing so well and competing for promotion at the moment.

He is an excellent player on his day and displays so much power and athleticism down the right-hand side, so to have him out injured for the remainder of the season is a massive blow.

If he can continue to recover and make a return before the end of the campaign, though, it could be a big boost for Lamouchi's men.