Nottingham Forest midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has sustained a serious injury whilst on World Cup duty, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Premier League maestro was named in Aliou Cisse’s 26-man squad to represent Senegal in Qatar, but there was cause for concern when he went down during his side’s group opener against the Netherlands on Monday.

The 32-year-old was involved in a dangerous collision with Frenkie De Jong which saw him needing treatment before being stretchered off the pitch, unable to continue.

Speaking post-match, Cisse claimed that he had twisted his ankle, though an update has now emerged contrary to reports.

The Latest: Kouyate fitness update

According to Sport News Africa (via NottinghamshireLive), Kouyate has ‘suffered a torn thigh’ and is now ‘expected to miss’ the rest of Senegal’s group games vs Qatar and Ecuador.

Should the Lions of Teranga fail to progress to the next stage, his international campaign will be over having played just 73 minutes of football in what would be a cruel setback for the City Ground star.

The Verdict: Blow for Cooper

Forest will have been made aware of Kouyate’s current situation and should he for any reason be ruled out of action upon the return of domestic action, it will be a huge blow for Steve Cooper.

The Dakar native already has a goal to his name in just nine starts since his summer arrival and prior to his injury was averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.6 clearances (WhoScored).

Kouyate has the ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch making him an important player for the Reds, so they will be hoping to have him back at their disposal as soon as possible.